Molly Ringwald is arguably still best known for her roles in a few of John Hughes’ films. She was part of the cast of The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. Even today each of these movies and others from Hughes are still well loved for their depictions of the struggles of the high school experience and adolescence in general. Considering how popular the teen flicks still are, it's hard not to wonder if any of Hughes' movies could be remade. Well, Ringwald has some strong thoughts on that subject.
Anyone who needs an idea of how ubiquitous remakes have become should look no further than the 2026 movie schedule. Revamps The Bride!, The Mummy and Moana are headed to theaters before the end of the year. Could a John Hughes movie ever get the remake treatment next? At the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, Molly Ringwald spoke with People, and it seems she's not exactly for the idea of rebooting Hughes' movies:
Well, they can't be [remade] because they can't be made without the permission of [the late] John Hughes, and he didn't want the films to be remade. And I don't think that they should be really.
Honestly, I agree. John Hughes’ movies are renowned for portraying teen issues as serious as those of adults. He showed in The Breakfast Club (streamable with a Prime Video subscription) that a teenager is more than a label. Through Pretty in Pink (which Paramount+ subscription holders can stream), Hughes explored the importance of staying true to one's self even when faced with peer pressure. As for Sixteen Candles, it captures the relatable pain of feeling unimportant.
Hughes' movies also birthed the “Brat Pack,” included the likes of Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe and more. And who could forget all the memorable music moments that came from these ‘80s flicks like “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” “If You Leave,” and “Twist and Shout.” All in all, these films are linked to a very specific period in time, and it would be hard to recreate such movie magic now.
Many have tried and failed to recreate a John Hughes-birthed property, though. Ferris Bueller nearly received a spinoff about the two valets who stole Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari, but the merger of Skydance Media and Paramount Global caused it to be scrapped. Will Smith and Kevin Hart planned to team up for a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles remake until the project “fell apart.” On that note, Molly Ringwald weighed in what she'd rather see instead of flat-out remakes of Hughes' films:
I feel like if somebody does something, I would prefer that they do something … that takes from Breakfast Club and then builds on [it], and represents this generation's issues rather than to try to recreate what was of a different time.
In other words, if a coming-of-age film were to be made today in a similar style to John Hughes, it would have to be more about social media pressure, race/LGBT+ inclusion, mental health awareness, and more contemporary matters. There have been many modern movies that have given Hughes vibes, like Mean Girls, Superbad and Saved! Still, I'd argue that they’ll never hit audiences the same way a Hughes film hit Generation X.
Remakes can be interesting, but I'd argue that some movies (and TV shows) just need to be left alone. It's hard to improve on something that's already strong, and I'd say that's definitely the case when it comes to John Hughes' movies.
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