The cast and the crew of classic family film The Goonies have looked back on the making of the movie, its legacy, and speculate on the possibility of a sequel.
- READ MORE: ‘The Goonies’ Is 30: What Happened To The Actors Who Played Mikey, Data, Chunk And The Rest?
The 1985 film followed a gang of children called The Goonies who are facing eviction from their homes. They stumble across a treasure map that they believe might be the answer to their problems, but draw the attention of a family of criminals.
Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, the film was a box office hit and an enduring classic, launching the careers of many top stars like Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and recent Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan.
The film celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, and The Guardian sat down with the actors and crew members behind the film for a deep dive into their experiences.
Key among the anecdotes was how much the cast became a family. Astin, who played Mikey, talked about his sibling-like bond with Corey Feldman (Mouth). “Corey and I got on each other’s nerves” he said. “He was Mouth on screen and off. He’s got a big heart, so we were brothers, but we definitely scrapped a little bit together”.
Kerri Green, who played cheerleader Andy, confirmed: “It really was like a family. Josh, me and Martha (Plimpton), the three of us were like the older siblings, and the boys were like the younger siblings. We loved one another”.
She later scoffed at rumours of a riotous set, saying: “People would ask me (later on): ‘Oh, were there are lots of drugs?’ No! Like what are you talking about? We were kids”.
The film’s success didn’t change much for Astin, who revealed: “Even when the film came out, I still wasn’t that popular in school. I don’t think it really changed my life. Recognisability, that’s what changed”.
The cast still stay in touch, however, with Green saying: “It might be a year or two between seeing each other – it doesn’t matter. We just know one another, and we kind of pick up exactly where we left off. It’s pretty special”.
A sequel has been rumoured for as long as the original has been a success. Recently, when star Ke Huy Quan (who played Data) was honoured at an event for his film Love Hurts, he said he would be very keen to be involved in a follow up.
“Honestly, I love that movie so much. It’s one of the greatest adventures of my life” he said. “I would be so happy to revisit that character and, of course, go on another Goonies adventure with my fellow Goonies, that would be amazing!”
In The Guardian piece, however, cast members are more sceptical. Joe Pantoliano, who played villain Francis Fratelli, said: “They’ve been talking about sequels to this movie for years. Spielberg would say: ‘They probably spent millions of dollars just in developing ideas for this thing.’ As far as I know, nobody’s called me”.
Astin speculated: “I would expect that it would not include us. Maybe it’s just my desire not to raise my expectations. I root for it on behalf of the fans who love it”.
Green revealed: “I had a nice conversation with (writer) Chris Columbus at Ke’s hand and footprint ceremony (at LA’s TCL Chinese theatre) recently. It sounds like we all might have cameos in it, which would be so much fun”.
Despite this insight, Corey Feldman and Martha Plimpton said last September that a sequel is not happening.