Chris Hemsworth Dundee
Chris Hemsworth in the Dundee ad campaign. Tourism Australia

In the runup to Sunday's Super Bowl a viral campaign teased what appeared to be a big screen return of '80s favourite Crocodile Dundee but turned out to be an ad campaign devised for Tourism Australia.

The $38m campaign starred Danny McBride as Brian Dundee, the long-lost son of Paul Hogan's Mick 'Crocodile' Dundee, alongside Chris and Liam Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Isla Fisher, Ruby Rose and Russell Crowe.

After the final ad, which featured Hogan reprising his role, calls began to emerge on social media for a real reboot of the popular comedy-action film series.

The campaign started with actor Ike Barinholtz tweeting about the ad, which stars his Eastbound & Down co-star McBride: "I am legitimately bummed there is not a new Crocodile Dundee movie."

Director and producer Judd Apatow responded: "I agree! It can still happen. Dundee came to America. Now he has a kid he didn't know about. What day do I start shooting?"

Even Chris Hemsworth was up for it, telling News.com.au: "Hearing such a positive response from a fan's point of view, I would definitely be open to it. You'd have to find a story and a great script but it's certainly made me stop and think what the future holds and whether we could make something like this work."

Hogan was a bit more sceptical. He told The Today Show he would be reluctant to reprise the role. "The first one was the most successful independent film ever made, the second one did huge business.

"With all due respect to Danny McBride I don't think he'd be the first cab off the rank to be the son of Dundee," he joked.

Released in 1986, Crocodile Dundee was a massive hit, making more than $328m and spawning two sequels in 1988 and 2001. It made a star out of Hogan and introduced a global audience to a wealth of Aussie stereotypes.

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