Will Hollywood ever make a sequel to The Goonies? Who knows? But it is about to remake the cult favorite in an unexpected, very clever way. Fox has just ordered a TV pilot about a substitute teacher who helps three of her students shoot their own version of the 1985 classic. You read that right.
The show is about kids doing a shot for shot remake of The Goonies, not unlike what fans have recently done with Toy Story 3 or famously done with Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sarah Watson (Parenthood, The Bold Type) is writing and Greg Mottola (Superbad, Paul) will direct the pilot, which is being done under the Amblin umbrella and has Goonies director Richard Donner among its producers. So it’s fully legit and authorized.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news and explains that in the show, by helping her students remake The Goonies, the teacher “will inspire a town in desperate need of hope in this love letter to the power of cinema, storytelling, and dreams.” So you get a basic idea of how the characters will grow through this hugely complicated project, and that it’ll help everyone deal with pain and loss while finding redemption and success.
Here’s the full summary per THR: “After failing to make it in New York and carrying a heavy secret with her, Stella Cooper returns to her distressed automotive hometown to substitute teach. She finds inspiration, hope and ultimately salvation when she agrees to help three students who are pursuing their filmmaking dreams by putting on an impossibly ambitious shot-for-shot remake of one of their favorite movies—The Goonies. Over the course of the season of the potential series, their passion will inspire a town in desperate need of hope in this love letter to the power of cinema, storytelling and dreams.”
Of course, though, this is just a pilot. A lot has to happen between the pilot being ordered and a show making it on the air. But this is a very clever way to bring The Goonies back, is it not? As long as you get a few of the original Goonies to cameo, I’m good. Fox, give this one a green light.
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