Can ‘Anchorman 2’ continue the legend? [Trailer]

In the 1970s, Ron Burgundy and his boys from “Anchorman” went local, ruling the classy precincts of San Diego. Where would the ‘80s find them? Going global in the burgeoning world of cable news, of course.

According to the new trailer for “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” the Adam McKay-directed sequel to the 2004 hit that Paramount releases Dec. 20, Will Ferrell’s mustache, privates and the rest of him (and his team) arrive in New York as the new decade begins. There the group — which of course also includes Paul Rudd’s reporter smoothie Brian, David Koechner’s sports chauvinist Champ and Steve Carell’s nerd weatherman Brick — are hired by a network seemingly modeled after CNN, which also started up around that time.

The setup gives Burgundy a new modern foil. In the first film, it was the presence of a female anchor; here’s it’s the big city and the idea of covering something beyond local house fires. (Of course, cable news was hardly the powerhouse then that it is now, which in a way just makes it a San Diego station with bigger ambitions.)

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Ferrell’s Burgundy is doing the smug/clueless thing that seems a lot more familiar now than it did nine years ago. And the selection of “Don’t Stop Believin’” as a trailer song, even ironically, raises dated issues of its own, after years of “The Sopranos” and “Glee.” Still, cult comedies need to be experienced in full and over time, so judging a trailer like this is as pointless as inviting a woman to a pants party.

One of the more intriguing turns here is that of Carell. The actor was a niche figure from “The Daily Show” when the first film came out. He’s now the biggest star of the bunch. That could mean more screen time. But don’t worry — Burgundy still finds a way to be his misogynistic, racist self. He reports, coworkers decide (to smack him).