David Koechner assures us Anchorman 2 cast wants to return!

In March, it was widely reported that Anchorman 2 was being placed on hold due to Will Ferrell's inability to reunite the cast. We recently caught up with Champ Kind himself, David Koechner, to find out what was going on with the movie. He assures us that the entire cast does want to return, and that it's more about the studio stepping up to the plate. He also assured us that The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Movie is still in the works. Here's what he had to say about both projects:

There was some news a few weeks back, but you can never believe anything on the internet. Will Ferrell said that he really wanted to do a sequel to Anchorman, but it was on hold because he couldn't get all of you guys back together again. Who's the hold out? Is there a hold out? What's the news on that?

David Koechner: There is no hold out. We are just trying to get everyone's schedule to work. We all share the same manager, and we have spoken. That story came out of nowhere. I know that everyone wants it to happen. The issue is what the studio is willing to pay. Those things are always economic. It has nothing to do with the players. It's due to the economy of the studio. Anything that ever happens is a numbers game. Like casting? Look at the people who win Academy awards. And when they are going to work again. When do they get their price? When do they get to lead a movie? They might be the greatest actor that anyone ever recognizes. Whether or not they get to do what they want to do in their careers is a different story. Because it's all economics. People in power don't give a shit. They say, "Is that going to make me money or not?" That's all anyone cares about. Money. Because you have to remember, there are only five companies that make everything and control everything in the media. What is their best interest? They have to serve their stockholders. And they have to line their pockets. That's all that matters. Now I will never work again (laughs).

You bring up economics. I want to ask you about something that is a favorite of mine, which you were involved with. The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show. I know you guys came out on Comedy Central, then it disappeared really quick. And you weren't happy with how that all went down. Is there any chance we will ever see the show on DVD? And is Gerald Tibbons retired permanently?

David Koechner: No, Gerald is not retired. I put a call into Dave Allen yesterday, and I said, "Let's do it, man! Lets get the band back together." I am also writing a Naked Trucker and Gerald movie. And, if nothing happens, I am probably going to put the show out on DVD myself. Until I get sued by Viacom.

Is that really a possibility? That you would do that? I think they might still be on Itunes, but I haven't checked in a while.

David Koechner: Apparently it is on Itunes. But there is no reason for people to be driven to that.

I can't watch it on that little screen. It drives me nuts.

David Koechner: I think people still want the tape. They still want to buy the video. People that are my age? Even down to your age, where that might be the tail end of it...We still would like to have the DVD of it. We want a hard copy. I like having something tactile. You like to hold the thing. That's your business. There aren't CDs anymore. You just download the music. You don't get to see the liner notes. You don't get to see all of those extra things that used to be a part of the experience of buying music. For you and me, the experience of buying movies is the same. My son just downloads it from the Internet. He puts it on his Itouch. I can't believe that's where people want to watch their movies. I ask him, "Don't you want to watch it on the television? I can show you how to hook that up." He says, "No." They have a different personal way of interacting with it.

What are your plans are for The Naked Trucker movie? I know you had a film in the works before the TV show came out. How has your idea to bring this world onto the big screen changed since then?

David Koechner: Yeah, that never happened. We were going to make the film, but when the TV show didn't work, the studio head said, "I think its been over exposed." Which is a polite way of saying, "It didn't work on television. Why would we make the movie?" And they were right. But that will change. In time, people will forget the experience of the TV show. I will find a different way to get better exposure for it in a way that I can have more control. I will make it work this time.

I don't want you to undersell the TV show, either. Everyone I show it to loves it.

David Koechner: I loved the show! I am proud of that show. They just sold it wrong. They marketed it as blue collar television. They called it road house comedy, which is there wink at blue collar. We had emphatically pleaded with them from the very start. Never sell this as blue collar. That's the first thing they did.

You guys aren't in there with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable guy.

David Koechner: I nearly didn't support the show. I nearly didn't support doing the press just because of that. It was such a slap in the face. We had pleaded with them the entire time. I thought it was pretty unprofessional of them on their part. I thought. There is a whole different regime at Comedy Central now. The people who made the show are gone. I have to be thankful that I got the opportunity to make the show. Like my wife says, I was in charge. I can't complain about anything. But apparently I will. I didn't have the power to say, "No! I'm not going to do it that way." But I went along. The problem was the format. Which was what I call the Chappelle model. Because people know who Dave Chappelle is. The way he would come out and introduce the show. Then go into the sketches. That was a perfect format. But it didn't work for what we were doing. And they didn't have the understanding to see that wasn't going to work for us.

The movie is still going to be a musical, right?

David Koechner: I think so.

I hope so. I love your music. Listening to the CD, the show never gets old. It's not like a comedy disc, where you listen to the jokes one time and you never want to hear the thing again.

David Koechner: That is very good to hear.

I think that has a lot to do with the music you guys were doing. That's why I hope the movie is a musical.

David Koechner: Yeah, yeah. I want it to be more akin to The Blues Brothers type show. Where you have the music interspersed. And it can be popular music. Not necessarily stuff that is generated from us.

I think that would be awesome. But that comes from an unabashed fan of the show.

David Koechner: We think alike in that regard.