Caffeinated Clint
With “Tron Legacy” just a couple of weeks away from release, it would seem the whiteboard artists at the major studios are scouring through the vaults, as far as back as the 1980’s, in search of ‘classics’ that they own and therefore, can sequelize.
Here’s 10 other sequels to classic ‘80s films we’ll be seeing sometime soon :
1. Top Gun 2
Tom Cruise and Tony Scott (actor and director, respectively) are onboard a sequel to Simpson & Bruckheimer’s 1986 flyboy hit.
2. Vacation
Chevy Chase will reprise his role as Clark Griswold, now a grandfather, in a sequel to the 1984 hit that fixes on the character of the former’s grown-up son, Rusty.
3. Ghostbusters 3
First Sliming for the guys since 1989. Everyone is said to be coming back (Rick Moranis is yet to be confirmed), with a couple of new faces (Bill Hader has been mentioned), and assumingly, a Ray Parker Jr song.
4. The Thing
Prequel to the John Carpenter film of the same name. Stars Joel Edgerton and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Pity it has to have the same title as the original.
5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit 2
Robert Zemeckis is headed back to the House of Mouse to bring the floppy-haired ‘toon’ out of retirement. There should be a script shortly.
6. Three Men and a Baby 3
A script for a second sequel to Leonard Nimoy’s 1987 hit apparently exists – or so says Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson, who are jumping at the bit to get back on the big screen.
7. Police Academy
This one’s been in development for a while, so it might be off, but last we heard Warner Bros were bringing back Guttenberg and company for a new ‘passing the torch’ sequel.
8. Beverly Hills Cop 4
Axel Foley will be back… just a question of when? Eddie Murphy is attached to star in a new sequel, which Brett Ratner is said to be directing, but it’s not progressing too fast.
9. Midnight Run 2
Robert De Niro has agreed to reprise his role as bounty hunter Jack Walsh in a sequel. And that’s about all we know about it.
10. Mad Max Fury Road
Don’t think this one needs introduction. I tell you what it does need though? A gypsy to lift the curse that’s seemingly been bestowed upon it.
And is that the end of these ‘80s sequels?
But the question is, is there anything else from the Reagan-era worth doing a tardy sequel to? Or can we expect superfluous 3D sequels to “My Stepmother is an Alien”, “Leviathan” and “Steel Dawn” in the near future? That I can’t answer, but I do feel that, like Kevin Flynn and Pete Mitchell, there’s enough cool characters from the Mondo Rock years that we wouldn’t mind seeing again!
Here’s 10 suggestions:
10. 16 Candles 2
Why? : Of all of John Hughes’ films of the era, a “16 Candles” sequel makes the most sense – mainly because the studio [hopefully] wouldn’t be ruining anything by going back to the well. Unlike “Breakfast Club”, “16 Candles” didn’t have much to say, and was pretty much just giggles and gushing, so there wouldn’t be an insane amount of pressure to deliver anything super brilliant. So long as Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling came back… fans would be happy.
There’s nobody out there who isn’t interested in seeing whether or not a newly muscular Farmer Ted eventually stole Samantha from Jake, right!?
Will it happen? : There was talk of a telemovie sequel a few years back (titled “32 Candles”) but I don’t think it was ever confirmed that the natter was legit.
9. The Untouchables 2
Why? : My ‘because there’s still more to tell’ excuse is getting old, but again, it’s true. In this case, you wouldn’t necessarily have to bring back the original cast either – especially if the film is set prior to the events of the 1987 classic,
Will it happen? : There was talk of a prequel a couple of years back (Antoine Fuqua was attached to direct; Gerard Butler was onboard to star) but the idea seems to have been adjourned. Paramount, please, reconsider!
8. Grease 3
Why? : Well, both John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John could do with a hit, but besides that, age aside, we’d love to see what Danny and Sandy are up to these days. One would assume they’d have musically-inclined kids; Rizzo would still be a slut; Frankie Avalon would still haunt Frenchie’s dreams; and Lorenzo Lamas would still be doing laps of the oval.
Will it happen?: Nearly did. Travolta and Newton-John were keen at one stage, and someone, somewhere was even working on a script. The Scientologist pulled the plug on the project though. Last I heard Paramount famous was looking at doing a new direct-to-DVD “Grease” movie, but without John and Liv.
7. Poltergeist 4
Why? : Heather O’Rourke may be gone, but somewhere out there Carol Anne still dreams of scary trees and TV snow. The last “Poltergeist” film was released in 1988 thus it’s been over 20 years since we’ve visited with the Freeling clan… wouldn’t you be interested seeing them again? I sure as shit would.
Will it happen? : Doubt it, MGM plans to remake the original instead.
6. Broadcast News 2
Why? : Because I love this movie. Yeah, there’s the possibility that such a movie might go the way of “The Evening Star” or “Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps”, and displease stringent fans of the original (lot to live up to), but if James L.Brooks were to return and if he could entice Albert Brooks, William Hurt and Holly Hunter back into the fold (not to mention Jack Nicholson and Joan Cusack), there’s a good chance this could be a winner.
Will it happen? : Your guess is as good as mine. Petition?
5. Caddyshack III
Why? : Because the franchise ended on such a bad note with “Caddyshack II” that’s why! And it’d much easier to get Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and Michael O’Keefe (OK, damn easy to get him back) interested in doing a sequel now, what with their schedules freer and love for money, than it was back when Jon Peters was trying to get them back on the course. But also, think about who you could throw in the mix – Seth Rogen, Steve Carell… some Aptow vets, some SNL faves… there’s room for a new “Caddyshack”. Who’s with me!?
Will it happen? : Guessing they’ll reboot the franchise, not sequelize the original.
4. Romancing the Stone 3 (The Crimson Eagle)
Why? : Not sure Michael Douglas would be well enough to do it, but lets pretend he is, and let’s also pretend that Kathleen Turner was still a looker… now who wouldn’t be keen to see Jack Colton and Joan Wilder trek off on another wild adventure, now in their Twilight years!? My hands way up! There was talk of a sequel a few years back, but Douglas ultimately opted out of it. Now that he’s reprised Gordon Gecko, wouldn’t it be nice if he came back – even this late in the day – to reintroduce us to Colton?
Will it happen? : Not unless Danny De Vito suddenly becomes a hugely bankable box office star again and Fox decides to shape the sequel around his character.
2. Beetlejuice 2
Why? : People want to see it. The cast of the original (Michael Keaton, Geena Davis and so on) want to do it. Tim Burton has ‘some’ interest. The original is a top-selling DVD title for Warner Bros. Isn’t that enough reason to bring back the Ghost with the Most?
Will it happen? : There’s still a chance, but it was many, many moons ago that Warner Bros last considered doing a sequel – then titled “Beetlejuice goes Hawaiian” – to the 1988 hit. Still, it’s not as if Keaton’s age would be a deterrence… he’d be covered in make-up for the duration of the film!
2 Red Heat 2
Why? : Schwarzenegger, should he be thinking about returning to films, is going to be looking for some sure-fire things. It’s doubtful he’ll reprise the Terminator again, but there’s always Gumby from Walter Hill’s 1988 hit!? And I don’t think James Belushi would be knocking it back.
Will it happen? : Let’s see if Schwarzenegger does return to acting first.
1. The Goonies 2
Why? : Unlike “Back to the Future” and “The Breakfast Club”, it just doesn’t feel like the book is closed on The Goonies. Marty McFly may have hung up his life preserver, and detention may be over for that dissimilar bunch from the John Hughes film, but you just know those Goonies – and/or their kids – are still out there in search of buried treasure and trouble.
Will it happen? : It’s come very close to happening – a few times actually. A couple of the scripts (one of which was written by “Star Trek” scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci) were actually pretty good, too. Sadly, Warner Bros just isn’t interested in doing a follow-up to Richard Donner’s cult classic which serves as yet another reminder that everyone on the board over there are under 25.
