This wouldn't technically count as an "AU" per se, but it would work. It's the midquel, ladies and gentlemen, because logic dictates that there should at least have been one night guard to replace Larry after he quit to become a raving success selling random pieces of junk that we don't really need. There could very likely have been several, as each successive replacement began to convince themselves that they were going nuts and therefore left to keep the problem from getting worse, probably at recommendation from a psychiatrist. McPhee, being exceedingly frustrated, probably decides to call in someone he knows wants as little to do with the museum as possible but needs to go in anyway because at least they won't think they're nuts. This is one of those AUs where an OC is pretty much necessary to move the story forward. Heck, I've done something similar in my first series of NATM fics, about a girl named Tally who's Cecil's granddaughter and who eventually falls in love with Ahkmenrah. I'm guilty of that, too, which is why I'm starting to move away from it. However, this is one of those cases where I recognize that inserting your own character is the only way for the premise to be pulled off in any capable fashion, and I'm more likely to read...until your OC turns into a Black Hole Sue and destroys the franchise as we know it.
The related AU-ish thing would be the prequel, where you explore what caused the three original guards to sign on to the museum in the first place and how they came to discover the tablet's power, how it worked, and how they developed their methods to contain the exhibits and keep everything from destroying each other. There is definitely an interesting story in there, especially when you get into what prompts the guards to develop their plot to steal the tablet and frame some new hire for the crime.
Then, of course, we have the fan-made sequel. This is technically a continuation, but it falls into AU territory as soon as the next installment in the canon franchise is released. This happened to Harry Potter, and it can certainly happen to Night at the Museum. I'm pretty sure it has, too. But the general idea is that you write a story about where you believe the franchise is going or should be going, or something that would logically fit as next in line. The rest is left up to fate, and it has the added benefit of seeing where you hit and where you missed in your predictions of future events. You never know. You might have gotten something right.
Next on "For the Love of Night at the Museum": Yet more alternate universe ideas for your use, inspiration, and/or entertainment.
Countdown: 317 Days to NATM 3
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