It's surprising that Ferris Bueller’s Day Off never got a sequel. The film is beloved, and was a smash success when it was first released in 1986, but talks about a follow-up never turned into anything real in the last 34 years (with the exception of a live-action TV series that got cancelled after one season). Of course, modern Hollywood has fallen in love with long delayed sequels like 2018's Halloween, Blade Runner 2049, and Mad Max: Fury Road, so it's not impossible that it may one day happen – and if it does, co-star Alan Ruck has an excellent idea that filmmakers might want to consider pursuing.
Ruck, who now stars in the Emmy-winning HBO series Succession, was recently a guest on People's Couch Surfing, and while discussing his past work the subject of a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off sequel came up. The actor best known for playing the anxiety-ridden Cameron Frye mentioned that he's been hearing talks for years, but there is specifically one idea that he really likes. Said Ruck,
There are always little rumors, and different writers will come up to [me] at parties or awards shows and say, 'I've got a great idea,' and then you never hear anything more about it. Back in the day, John Hughes talked to Matthew briefly about maybe having Ferris go to college. I always thought they should wait until Matthew and I are in our 70s. Cameron's in a nursing home, and Ferris comes and breaks him out!
This is a great idea for multiple reasons, but the biggest one is just that it's the unexpected sequel approach that a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 2 would need. Making a movie where Ferris ditched during a day in college would have been too obvious, as would a follow up that follow's Matthew Broderick's Ferris, Mia Sara's Sloane Peterson, and Alan Ruck's Cameron Frye as middle-aged adults trying to escape from work. Jumping to the point where they are elderly would be an unexpected twist and open up wholly new comedic arenas.
The question that remains is whether or not this would be an idea to execute now or in a few years. The Ferris Bueller’s Day Off trio is not quite in their 70s yet; Ruck is the oldest at 64 years old, while Broderick and Sara are 58 and 53, respectively. There are amazing things being done with makeup and digital effects these days that make the prospect of aging up actors a whole lot less daunting, so doing it in the next few years would be doable.
Who would write it? Who would direct it? Those are some big questions when you consider that the volunteer would be stepping directly into the footsteps of John Hughes – but there certainly are talented filmmakers out there who could turn the premise into something magical.
For those of you who are now hankering to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, we're sad to report that the movie isn't currently available on any streaming services, however, it is available to rent or purchase digitally from all major outlets, and is also on both Blu-ray and DVD.
