Caffeinated Clint
Much like the freckly nymphet in gym class, I never quite got the appeal for “Heathers” (1989).
Sure, it was entertaining enough, and who didn’t love lovely Winona Ryder back in her heyday? But I always found the flick too bleak to be enjoyable.. if you know what I mean. There’s black comedy, and then there’s the occasional charcoal-colored efforts of the genre. This was one of them. I loved the chemistry between Ryder and kid-cool Christian Slater, and the premise itself was fun, but something about that film didn’t sit as well with me as it did others. Alas, I’m the kid who considers “Bloodsport” an underrated classic, so don’t take much notice of me.
There’s been on-and-off talk of a “Heathers” sequel over the years, but considering much of that talk came from Ms Ryder and around the time of her shopping arrest, nobody took much notice – it was like the lass throwing lollies into a crowd of protestors.
A sequel is indeed happening – only it won’t be with Ryder, and it won’t be ‘Coming to a Cinema Near You’.
Bravo is developing a TV series based on Michael Lehmann’s film, which – I guess like Joss Whedon’s “Buffy” – will serve as a sequel to the feature film that preceded it.
The show, which Fox originally set up three years ago, will retain “Heathers” writer-exec producer Mark Rizzo and exec producer Jenny Bicks.
Here’s the low-down from the Bravo marketing department :
From Sony Pictures Television and writer and executive producer Mark Rizzo (The Man Date, Zip), executive producer Jenny Bicks (The Big C, Men In Trees) and Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi serving as executive producers for Lakeshore Entertainment.
Present day update of the cult classic 1980’s film that picks up 20 years later with Veronica (played by Winona Ryder in the film) moving back to Sherwood with her teenage daughter, who enters high school to deal with the next generation of mean girls, the “Ashley’s,” daughters of the surviving “Heathers.”
I remember one of the original ideas for the movie sequel – according to then-unemployable Ryder – was having Christian Slater’s J.D character appear in Ghost form to Veronica. I wonder if that’ll be a part of the series – rebel spirit boy still haunting his beloved?
