Todd Phillips wanted Heather Graham for Hangover Part II

Todd Phillips would have loved Heather Graham to appear in 'The Hangover Part II' but says the storyline didn't warrant her return.

The director is a huge fan of the actress - who played a stripper in the Las Vegas-based first film - but admitted he couldn't ask her to return because there was nowhere for her character to go.

He said: "I love Heather Graham, more than most male red-blooded Americans, I really do, like I'm obsessed with Heather Graham. But the storytelling didn't take us in a place to bring that character back.

"So it wasn't like I wanna jam these people in because I like them, it's just where the story brought us to whether or not they came back. And when you see the movie you'll I think understand and it'll all make sense."

While Heather is not returning, original stars such as Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis will appear in it and Todd will make sure the first movie is referenced to.

He told Collider.com: "Sometimes the characters in sequels ignore the first movie in a way. These guys very much lived through the first Hangover and are very aware of it and reference it, and are aware at absurdities that are happening again or not.

"They're going through this experience having the lens of going through the first one."