Sixteen Candles has been granted a birthday wish--a sequel.
Pull out the yearbooks, throw on the varsity letter jackets--it's high school reunion time for the gang from the 1984 John Hughes comedy.
32 Candles will update the lives of Sam Baker, Farmer Ted, Long Duk Dong and the rest of the gang.
"Our goal is to pay homage to as many of the original characters as possible," David A. Newman, one of the writers chosen to pen the update, tells Variety. "Who wouldn't want to write this?"
The original film was based around Samantha Baker's (Molly Ringwald) 16th birthday, a day that went unobserved by her family. The made-for-television special will pick up the story around Sam's 32nd birthday.
Keith Merryman, the other writer on the project, called Sixteen Candles "a film that anyone who's Gen X on down has seen a hundred times. It's like a comfort film."
So far, no word on whether the original cast will be approached for the sequel. Ringwald's manager had no comment on the project.
The special lies in the hands of USA Network. Anthony Michael Hall, Sam's nerdy admirer, Ted, in the first flick, has current ties with the network--he stars in their series The Dead Zone.
The original film also featured John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Edward Andrews.
Buffy Shutt and Kathy Jones, producers of the 2002 surf-pop flick Blue Crush, will shoulder the responsibility of producing 32 Candles, along with Ken Holdren.
It's not a task they take lightly. "We're all so concerned about getting it right, because it's such a beloved property," Jones tells Variety.
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
yep...hear it straight from joan cusack's mouth yesterday on a talk show.
*sigh*
Posted by Devolution (Member # 1731) on :
Devolution here,
As long as Joan Wipes her mouth with her shirt in the Sequel, I am ok with it. Not really though. It upsets me that they are even thinking about messing around with a classic.
We are DEVO
Posted by isis9968 (Member # 1780) on :
That bothers me so much too. There isn't a movie that has been out in years, that wasn't a sequel, a remake of a tv show, or a remake of the same movie. The even keep making sequels to stupid movies, cause they have nothing left. I just don't understand, how all these totally "original" movies came out in the 80's, and were so cool, and the main stream movies the big budget ones-have lived on forever as classics now, and then they made so many other lower budget movies, that were excellent, that are better than anything out now, and there were so many that I haven't seen tons of ones I keep looking for, and I know there are more out there, I haven't even heard of yet, that is the only thing that makes me not miss going to the movies any more. It is all about money..because they know everyone loved Sixteen Candles, I mean I have never meet 1 person, who said they hated that movie. People will go just out of curiosity- and to see what the actors have aged like..that is what I'd like to see-cause you never see them any more. I have seen Haviland Morris a few years ago, she has red hair and she looked terrible. I don't know what ever happened to Jake Ryan-the only other movie I ever think I saw him in was Mermaids, what else was he in??
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
isis, the guy that played jake, was also in wild hearts can't be broken (good movie). i think you would like it. i have that one too, it was only 6.99 (vhs) at walmart Posted by Ali_with_an_i (Member # 27) on :
Hollywood is generic lately. Independent films have been much more satisfying as of late. I'm sick of sequels and remakes, especially when they're films I love.
Posted by jlp937 (Member # 1877) on :
It doesn't matter what they do with that film it will always be a classic. No matter what they do to it it will never live up to the original. It is funny that you watch this film over and over and over again and still you find yourself discovering something new from it. That is what makes them a classic, you get so caught up in it.
I remember watching a film, I can't remember, maybe Lost Boys recently, and something happened in it and I was shocked that I never caught it before. Must not be to big because I can't remember exactly what it was.
Posted by Jaymi (Member # 1434) on :
I'm with you...I love the originals. These will **MAYBE** get to stand on their own but I doubt it. It would probably help to have the original cast but you know how that goes... Posted by TresFoxy (Member # 542) on :
Well they do say history repeats itself every 20 years! It would be right on time!!!LOL It probably will be really bad but the truth is I know I will watch it even if it is terrible!!!
Posted by Retrotunes.com (Member # 1997) on :
If it isn't John Hughes it is just the same actors in a similarly themed production.
Posted by Ali_with_an_i (Member # 27) on :
You're right TresFoxy, they are remaking my beloved Battlestar Galactica on the SciFi channel. The new one will air in December. I don't think I'll be able to watch it. I can't stomache the fact they made my favorite character Starbuck into a woman. Posted by paulshrimpton (Member # 1022) on :
I have this gripe about the whole 'remake' or 'sequel' thing - general rule should be "if it ain't broke, don't try and fix it". But I guess some people just can't leave well alone. So we look for second best.
New Rules for Remaking 80's Classics:
Get someone who knows (and preferably loves) the original to write the story (for examples, check out FanFiction.net)
Decide real early if it's going to be a follow on (for example, what happened to The Breakfast Club monday morning) or an update (for example, what the characters would be doing now). This would let you choose the same actors or not.
Never, EVER, just re-use the old story. Never worked, and never will. I've seen Planet Of The Apes.
Try get the old director and locations - otherwise the only link would be the name of one or two characters (I've also seen The Italian Job)
Please, if you are an actor, resist the temptation to be all 'luvvy' about the movie. If it's a remake, call it a remake, not an homage or whatever.
On second thoughts, give it up. Be Original. Write something new.
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