For decades, fans of the beloved ’80s cult classic, The Goonies, have hoped for a return to the treasure-hunting world of Mikey and his friends. That hope is finally becoming a reality after a sequel was officially confirmed early this year, timed perfectly to the film’s 40th anniversary. Adding to the excitement, original creatives Chris Columbus (who wrote the original’s script) and Steven Spielberg are confirmed to return as executive producers. While plot and casting details remain under tight wraps, the original cast recently reunited for a retrospective conversation with The Guardian, sharing a range of reactions about their potential involvement in the next chapter.
The interview featured three original stars, Joe Pantoliano, Sean Astin, and Kerri Green, as well as two crew members, director of photography Nick McLean, and camera operator Michael O’Shea. The group fondly reminisced about their extensive on-set experience and the movie’s enduring legacy. However, when the conversation steered to the sequel, the group’s reaction was a mix of skepticism, uncertainty, and hope. “Donner has died, so who would direct it?” pondered McLearn about who might inherit the reins from the original director, Richard Donner, who passed away in 2021. It is a role that Pantoliano, who played the scheming Francis Fratelli, feels should have been filled by now, given the sequel’s long gestating period. “They’ve been talking about sequels to this movie for years,” said Pantoliano. “Spielberg would say: ‘They probably spent millions of dollars just in developing ideas for this thing.'”
That investment seems to have yielded only little progress, but with the sequel only officially confirmed this year, momentum is expected to build soon. Addressing his potential return as Mama Fratelli’s favorite son, Pantoliano was doubtful, revealing, “As far as I know, nobody’s called me.” His uncertainty stands in contrast to co-star Ke Huy Quan‘s earlier revelation that the entire cast was on board to return. Meanwhile, Astin, who played Mikey, the leader of the pack, was rather pessimistic. “I would expect that it would not include us,” he said. “Maybe it’s just my desire not to raise my expectations. I root for it on behalf of the fans who love it.”
‘The Goonies’ Original Cast Could Cameo In The Sequel
While the responses from Pantoliano and Astin might suggest that the sequel isn’t planned to feature the original cast in any form, Green, who played Andy Carmichael, was more optimistic. The actress seemed slightly more in the loop than her co-stars, something she credited to a recent chat with Columbus. “I had a nice conversation with Chris Columbus at Ke’s hand and footprint ceremony [at LA’s TCL Chinese theatre] recently,” Green said. Further revealing, “It sounds like we all might have cameos in it, which would be so much fun.”
Green’s comments suggest that not only is the script in active development, but that the beloved original cast might indeed return, if only briefly, to perhaps, pass the torch to a younger set of cast should Columbus favor that direction. Hopefully, more concrete details should follow soon on what audiences can expect from The Goonies 2. As always, stay tuned for future updates.
Source: The Guardian