The Hangover Part II and earlier comments made by Phillips denying such reports were a deliberate case of misdirection. The following month, Bradley Cooper stated he believed the rumors to be true and was looking forward to filming "The Hangover 2" in Thailand. In October 2010, Phillips confirmed that the film would take place in Bangkok and Los Angeles and that Galifianakis, Cooper, Helms and Ken Jeong would be returning. On a budget of $80 million, principal photography began on October 8, 2010, in Ontario, California with the first images of production being released a few days later. It was also reported in October
The Hangover Part III 197 reviews and an average rating of 4.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Less a comedy than an angrily dark action thriller, "The Hangover Part III" diverges from the series' rote formula but offers nothing compelling in its place." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 30 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. Describing the film's negative reception, "Variety" speculated that the series had become critic-proof. Andrew Barker of "Variety" gave the film a negative review,