Nowadays, there's no such thing as too much time having passed between a movie and its sequel, whether it's a few years or a few decades. A few examples of the latter that come to mind include Tron: Legacy, Mad Max: Fury Road and the upcoming Blade Runner 2049. Within the last several years, there's been renewed talk of adding The Goonies 2 to that list, as over 30 years after its release, The Goonies remains a cult classic. Unfortunately for fans of the adventure comedy, one of the stars, Martha Plimpton, doesn't believe a follow-up will happen.
While doing a Reddit AMA to promote her ABC series The Real O'Neals, Martha Plimpton, who played Stephanie Steinbrenner in The Goonies, was asked by a fan if she could provide any details about what's happening with The Goonies 2. This was her response:
I wish I had an answer for you, but I can tell you that I really wouldn't expect it. It's been teased for decades and I don't think it's going to happen. At least, as far as I know. I think [director] Dick Donner, who is a brilliantly funny man, likes to torture us all with the prospect. I believe it's his revenge for having been tortured by all of us for 6 months in 1984.
Martha Plimpton's answer is yet another indicator that The Goonies 2 is likely just a pipe dream. Although director Richard Donner seemed keen on doing it once upon a time, now there doesn't appear to be much drive in making it happen, not to mention that the material isn't there. Last year, producer Frank Marshall said that the story hadn't been cracked yet, and without the right story, there's no reason to move forward. Plimpton's Goonies costar Corey Feldman said in July that because of Donner's advanced age, it's unlikely that they and their other cast-mates will reunite for the sequel, especially if it was someone else leading the charge.
Since there doesn't appear to be any interest from most of the original cast to participate in The Goonies 2, maybe now is finally the time to put this idea to rest...on the big screen. If there is enough demand to see how these kids turned out as adults as they embark on a new adventure, it might just be simpler to just publish such a tale as a novel or comic book miniseries. The hardcore fans get their follow-up, but it won't take up any of the actors' time. Just because The Goonies 2 can't experience life on the big screen doesn't mean the idea has to die completely.
We'll obviously keep you updated if anything happens with a Goonies sequel, but if Martha Plimpton is correct, then it's doubtful this project will ever see the light of day.
