Let us go back to the 1980s, when children in mortal peril was more the norm. The Goonies was a massive hit in the summer of 1985. Those darn titular characters; they laugh together, they fat shame together and they never say die. Sequel ideas, however, are not so immune, according to actors Sean Astin and Corey Feldman.
During a Q&A session at FAN EXPO Boston, both Astin and Feldman discussed their tumultuous experience with trying to get a possible Goonies 2 off the ground. Feldman led off with a little background, saying:
“Every year, the rumor circulates, ‘Goonies 2 is definitely gonna happen now,’ and we’ll be like, ‘No, it’s not. But [director] Richard Donner at one point started fueling it himself and went to the press. He used to call us and tell us we were going back to work, and we’d get all excited, and then it wouldn’t happen.”
Tired of the cycle, the two former child stars then sat down and wrote a ten-page treatment, trying to pen something that they knew would please the fans who have been waiting almost thirty years for a follow-up. Apparently, the meeting was between the two actors, director Richard Donner, and representatives for producer Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Chris Columbus (yes, that one).
Per Feldman:
“Dick got really excited, and his eyes got really big, and he looked like he was loving it. ‘We got him, he’s in, he loves it!’ And then all of a sudden, halfway through, he just opens his eyes again and he goes, ‘Too expensive,’…and we’re like, what? And he’s like, ‘Too expensive, I want to go smaller.’”
Astin goes on to describe his desire for a 17th-century set pirate battle, where One-Eyed Willy’s ship, the Inferno, would be thrust into battle. Obviously that would cost a lot though, and Donner was worried about being able to get the entire cast back. The actors both admitted that a Goonies reboot was more likely than a Goonies 2 at this point, but I’m not sure why they sound so defeated. You know they would get cameos, after all.
Personally, I’m fine without another belated sequel, and I’d also be fine without a bloated reboot. I think the original film is a fun 80s time capsule with some cute sequences. A work of art? Maybe not. But maybe we should let these Goonies just rest in peace.
