Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler on the ‘travelling circus’ of making ‘Murder Mystery 2’

If “Murder Mystery” was one wild adventure, the sequel kicks it up a notch for a wilder and more action-packed getaway. And that’s exactly what lead actors Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler were hoping to do with the Netflix sequel “Murder Mystery 2,” which premieres Friday.

Sandler and Aniston return as crime-solving duo Nick and Audrey Spitz, who are now full-time detectives after they solved their first murder mystery four years ago. They’re struggling to get their agency off the ground when they’re invited to celebrate the wedding of their friend the Maharaja (Adeel Akhtar) on his private island.

But when he is kidnapped, Nick and Audrey put their skills to the test and are embroiled in a bigger, bolder whodunit that takes them to Paris.

Directed by Jeremy Garelick, the film also stars Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, Enrique Arce, Kuhoo Verma, John Kani and Dany Boon.

Sandler, 56, and Aniston, 54, have solid chemistry and comic timing, but those are not the only reasons their pairing works.

“We have so much fun,” Aniston said in a joint virtual interview.

“Jennifer has a few friends that come on the trip. I have a few friends. We all work together,” Sandler added. “Everybody gets along. So when we hang out it goes late. It’s fun. There are olives involved,” he laughed.

“Always olives. It’s like a travelling circus in the best way,” said Aniston.

They completed each other’s sentences and shared knowing glances before bursting out in laughter. Such is the foundation of a friendship that spans more than 30 years.

The Los Angeles-born Aniston is aware of how special their bond is: “We’re grateful for it and cherish it with all of our hearts. We make each other laugh.”

“She is as funny as it gets,” raved the New York-born Sandler. “Also, we have a lot of good times outside of making movies. And when I’m at Jennifer’s house, I know I’m going to be laughing, I’m going to be eating well. Hanging out with dogs, a lot of nice friends.”

Despite their decades of friendship, this is only the third film they have done together. They previously worked on the hit flick “Just Go With It” in 2011 followed by “Murder Mystery” in 2019.

Sandler, who described Aniston as a “smart cookie,” said he was surprised by the energy the actor brings to every project. “Also, strong thinking and always, always on top of everything.”

Does anything about Sandler surprise her? “Nothing anymore,” Aniston laughed. “It’s all old news … I can’t believe how you bring your dogs everywhere. I think that’s incredible … I started crying when I FaceTimed my dogs.”

For her part, Jodie Turner-Smith was caught off guard by Aniston and Sandler, having worked with them for the first time on this film.

“I was surprised at how down to earth and cool and fun they are. I didn’t necessarily see that coming,” Turner-Smith said. “I think a lot of times when you see actors that have been doing it for a long time, and that have been doing it at a certain level for a long time, there’s a certain level of separation from them and the rest of us. And with those two, it wasn’t like that at all. I mean, they were just so cool, wonderful and amazing. I just felt so welcomed.”

Audiences will see Turner-Smith in a new light as she flexes her comedic muscles in this. She’s known for the crime drama “Queen & Slim,” for playing the lead role in miniseries “Anne Boleyn” and a role in the postapocalyptic series “The Last Ship.”

“Comedy is, in many ways, so much harder than drama just because a lot of it is having an instinct for it that you can’t really teach,” Turner-Smith said. “I wanted to exercise this muscle and then I got to do it.”

The British actor now has “so much more respect” for Aniston and Sandler after seeing them deliver in person.

“Not that I didn’t obviously have tons of respect for them before. I was a huge fan of theirs, so half the time I’m pinching myself that they wanted me to be there and were enjoying me being there. But … I’m just like, ‘Wow, you guys are actually kind of genius and you’re coming up with this stuff’ … and all of it feels so grounded and real and hilarious. It’s not easy to be hilarious..”

Another actor who makes his presence felt is Enrique Arce, known for his role in the Spanish breakout series “Money Heist.” In the film, he plays a womanizer and is the “most outrageous comedic relief in the movie,” he said.

He called the experience “one of the most incredible experiences, if not the most incredible experience as an actor in my life.”

He was overwhelmed by the chance to work with Aniston and Sandler. “I’m just a dude from Valencia, Spain. How did this happen?”

While the film continues to be inspired by Agatha Christie, the whodunnit is infused with more action this time around but maintains the integrity of a murder mystery.

When asked who is better at solving mysteries, Sandler said it’s Aniston.

“I can’t pay attention. But Jennifer’s sharp, she knows what’s going on. She reads things, she knows people, she’s very aware.”

Aniston returned the compliment, telling him, “You’re really good at taking advice in terms of when I tell you about a new thing to try. I always want to keep him healthy for Jackie, for Sadie and Sunny (his wife and daughters), it’s important.”

“She’s always looking out for me,” Sandler said.

Marriska Fernandes is a Toronto-based entertainment reporter and film critic. She is a freelance contributor for the Star’s Culture section. Follow her on Twitter: @marrs_fers

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