Despite considering himself an inspirational figure, he only has two enthusiastic students, Rand Posin and Epiphany Sellars, and a history of producing poorly received school plays that are essentially stage adaptations of popular Hollywood films (his latest being Erin Brockovich).

The kids gradually warm to the project, but Rand – cast as a bi-curious Laertes and overshadowed by Octavio as Hamlet – storms out of the drama group and provides a copy of the play's script to Principal Rocker, who orders Dana to stop the production.

Dana is further traumatized when his wife Brie leaves him for the uninteresting but fertile boarder Gary they had taken in to supplement their income, and reveals that he himself is infertile.

[4] A rough edit of Hamlet 2 was prepared for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, where it was a late addition, three days prior to its scheduled screening.

After the screening, an all-night bidding war took place for worldwide distribution rights, Focus Features won for $10 million, beating out other studios such as Summit Entertainment, The Weinstein Company, Lionsgate and Warner Independent Pictures.

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 62%, based on 145 reviews, with the site's critical consensus reading, "The script's biting premise and Steve Coogan's endearing, off-the-handle performance make Hamlet 2 a hysterical -- if slightly painful -- ride.

"[11] The New York Times states that the film "made sure to take shots at Christians, gays, Latinos, Jews, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Elisabeth Shue, one of its lead actresses.

"[3] Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter described Hamlet 2 as "a slam-bang patchwork of more inspired comedies, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Borat."