Greg & friends level up in Rodrick Rules

MANILA, Philippines - Greg Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool, is back in an all-new family comedy film based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney of the same title Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.

The first motion picture based on Kinney’s work, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, brought to cinematic life the adventures of wisecracking pre-teen Greg Heffley, who must somehow survive the scariest time of anyone’s life… middle school.  Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn and most of the cast from Diary of a Wimpy Kid return.  Now, with the new film, the focus is on Greg’s family, especially his relationship with his older brother, Rodrick.

Greg has changed since the first movie.  Last year, he was heading into middle school for the first time. This year, he feels more confident and like he’s in control.  And now, he’s trying to make inroads with a pretty new girl at school, so he can improve his situation at school even further.

“The movie is centered on a classic theme, something most people have been through, which is sibling rivalry,” says producer Brad Simpson. “Every day, Greg probably wishes he were an only child.”

Robert Capron returns as Greg Heffley’s best friend, Rowley Jefferson, “Rowley is still wide-eyed,” says Simpson.  “He thinks you should just be yourself and people will like you.”

“Rowley and Greg’s relationship hasn’t really changed,” Capron says.

“They’re still really good friends and Greg is still making Rowley do things that he doesn’t want to, but Rowley’s doing them anyway.”

Jeff Kinney says, “In the first movie, Greg is worried about Rowley weighing him down in the social world.  But now, he is comfortable with Rowley as his best friend.  There’s something about the relationship that’s really one-sided, but there’s something that also works. And in this movie, we’re exploring the part that works.”

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is now showing in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.