It turns out Goonies never do say die. Fox is bringing the 1985 classic to the small screen, albeit in a very unexpected way. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network has ordered a pilot centered around the Goonies property, however, it centers on a substitute teacher who teams up with three students as they attempt to re-enact the original movie.
Sarah Watson, who previously wrote for The Bold Type and Parenthood, will pen the script, with Superbad director Greg Mottola helming the project.
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The story focuses on Stella Cooper, a woman harboring a secret who leaves New York and returns to her dilapidated hometown. When she starts working as a substitute, she’s inspired by three students who want to make a shot-for-shot remake of The Goonies.
The original Goonies was an all-star lineup of 1980’s filmmaking talent. It was directed by Richard Donner, written Chris Columbus and based on a story by Steven Spielberg. The story follows a group of kids in Astoria, Oregon, who, in an attempt to save one of their family homes from foreclosure, find a treasure map that leads them on a wild adventure in search of the legendary One-Eyed Willy’s fortune.
It was a huge hit during its initial theatrical run and has maintained its status as a beloved cult classic. It was even selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress back in 2017.
Given the film’s enduring popularity, this isn’t the first time talk about revisiting the property have surfaced over the years. Corey Feldman, who starred in the original film as Clark “Mouth” Devereaux, had written a treatment for a sequel along with Sean Astin, who played Mikey Walsh.
The two had even approached the trio of Spielberg, Columbus and Donner, though Feldman was quick to acknowledge that it was unlikely to actually happen, partly because they “can’t get everyone to agree on” a single idea.
“I’d say the chances of it happening at this point are very slim, as Richard Donner is like 80-something years old now,” he told Us Weekly. “It’s not quite like the old days where he’s able to fire off a movie here every few years… I know he’s got it in him. He’s still got a lot of energy. He’s moving around. He’s good.”
However, back in October, Feldman admitted that there hadn’t been any progress on his and Astin’s pitch. Which is too bad, because co-star Josh Brolin would be more than happy to do it.
