A Sequel To ‘The Goonies’ Looms Over The Horizon

So many people have confirmed that a sequel to The Goonies is in the works that it’s no longer really just a rumor.

TMZ broke the news today, after an on-the-spot interview with Goonies director Richard Donner. The TMZ reporter asked Donner if he was planning on doing another comic book movie (Richard Donner was the guy who made the campier 1980’s Christopher Reeves Superman movies). Without mising a beat, Donner replied:

“If you call ‘Goonies’ a comic book. We’re doing a sequel.”

The TMZ reporter then asked which cast members would be making the return for the Goonies sequel, to which Donner replied, “Hopefully all of them.”

This confirms a statement made last year by Sean Astin, who played Mikey in the original film. While on a promotional tour for the Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Astin told IGN that a Goonies sequel was going to happen someday, without question.

From Astin’s original statement to IGN:

“It will happen. I am one thousand percent certain there will be a sequel. I will bet my children on it.”

It makes sense, at least from a money-making perspective. The Goonies was released in 1985, and earned $9 million in its opening weekend. While that sounds paltry by today’s standards, it was the 2nd highest opening weekend gross that year, just narrowly being beaten out for the number one spot by Rambo: 1st Blood Part II.

According to film fan site Ain’t It Cool News, original Goonies producer Steven Spielberg is attached to the Goonies 2 project as well as Christopher Columbus, who wrote the screenplay to the first film. Donner may or may not end up in the director’s chair for this go around, but will definitely produce.

This may also mean that Richard Donner has scrapped a plan he had several years back to adapt The Goonies into a lavish live Broadway musical. While initially enthusiastic about the idea, Donner ran into several roadblocks before the idea lost steam. When asked about the Goonies musical in 2011, Donner simply said “It’s a long process.” That was the last time it was brought up.

If the Goonies sequel manages to bring the original cast together, it will mean a return to acting to several of its main players. Kerry Green, who played Andy the cheerleader now runs her own production company. Ke “Data” Quan is now a martial arts expert who works behind the Hollywood cameras as a fight choreographer for notable action stars like Jet Li. Jeff “Chunk” Cohen is now a slim, trim, entertainment lawyer.

Oddly enough, the most vocal opponent so far of a Goonies sequel is troubled actor Corey Feldman, who played “Mouth” in the original film.

At this time, it is unknown whether or not ‘The Goonies 2’ would focus more on the adult lives of the original characters or be centered around a new generation of treasure hunters.