America’s sweetheart Sandra Bullock continued her reign as Hollywood royalty this year as the two films she top-lined (cop comedy The Heat and space drama Gravity) were both met with huge box office numbers and critical acclaim. So, while the ending to Gravity left little room for a sequel, it should come as no surprise that 20th Century Fox is interested in pursuing a follow-up to The Heat.

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Bullock previously expressed her reluctance to reprise the role of Special Agent Sarah Ashburn in a second installment, likely due to her dubious track record with sequels (see: Speed 2: Cruise Control and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous). One would think that a film’s star publicly dismissing the idea of a follow-up would kill talk of a sequel, but it would seem that the conversation is not over yet.

Fox and The Heat director Paul Feig have announced plans to develop a sequel focusing on Beth (Jamie Denbo) and Gina (Jamie Chaffin), two foul-mouthed relatives of Det. Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy). The squirm-inducing duo, who turned Mullins’ uncomfortable homecoming into a stand-out scene, were a raunchy delight, as well as a highlight in a film brimming with great supporting performances.

On the subject of a Beth and Gina spin-off, Feig said:

Jamie and Jessica are two of the funniest people on this planet. They took small roles in The Heat and turned them into characters worthy of their own movie. I can’t wait to unleash Beth and Gina on the world. Run for your lives.

Could a stand-alone film centering exclusively upon these two loud-mouthed characters lead to box office gold? Feig and executives at Fox certainly seem to think so. I, for one, would welcome a film featuring these two, but a sequel to The Heat would surely suffer without Bullock’s services.

Tell us, do you think a sequel to The Heat (without the contributions of its main star) is a good idea? Sound off in the comments section.