Candles blown out on teen movie sequel?
It's been a while now since the last rumors circulated of a sequel for 16 Candles. Last we heard, a TV movie -- 32 Candles -- was planned to update fans on the lives of Samantha Baker, Jake Ryan, Farmer Ted and Long Duk Dong.
The 1984 flick starred Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall (along with smaller parts played by John and Joan Cusack). Speculation centered that USA Network, which airs Hall's Dead Zone series, was poised to produce and air the sequel. However, none of the original cast has commented on the project in years now. It's probably safe to say the project is dead for good.
Director/writer John Hughes has largely avoided sequels to movies produced during his glory days, the exceptions being Home Alone and Beethoven. The two writers originally attached to the sequel -- Keith Merryman and David A. Newman -- are now working on a sequel to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Speaking of Ringwald, the former teen queen returns to TV for a guest role in "Medium." The NBC series stars Patricia Arquette. Ringwald, who started her career in TV in 1979 as a cast member of Facts of Life, last appeared on TV in 2002. The show airs May 1.
So are we all happy that there won't be a 32 Candles? If you had to make a sequel to a John Hughes teen flick, which one would you choose?
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
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I've been watching Sixteen Candles and I really love it! It would've been great if the sequel was made. I wish the sequel will be made. *wink wink*
Posted by: 16yr old girl | June 16, 2007 at 11:23 PM
Chase Squires, whoever you are, you're a genius.
Posted by: Jen | January 26, 2007 at 12:11 PM
Yeah, maybe it'll be impossible to capture again that John Hughes movies' essence, but if there was a sequel of Sixteen Candles or any of his other movies, I'd definetively run to the movies for catching it! And I always wondered what happened with TBC, at first I started thinking that maybe a second part would be the best thing because I got so intrigues by the endging, but then I thought that it was perfect that way! Because fans are always imagining what happened the next monday, and... i don't know, it's simply perfect.
And I think the best 80's movie was The Breakfast Club. I just love that movie.
Posted by: Ivanna | September 01, 2006 at 06:14 PM
I think it would be cool to have a sequel, but I loved all the 80s movie's. I don't think it would be good without all the ORIGINAL cast members though that would suck
Posted by: Anonymous | June 16, 2006 at 10:44 PM
don't forget, Claire was hot in high school but... I saw her at our 20'th year reunion and SHE WAS A COW
Posted by: lillapoyka | April 22, 2006 at 08:14 AM
The Breakfast Club would've made for a cool sequel .. a vignette of each one, independent of the other, their back story, where they ended up ... Andy Clark: After blowing his knee in his senior year of wrestling, Clark went to a community college, leaving after his junior year to take a job as assistant manager at the local Sound Advice. His hair has fallen out, he weights 285 pounds. He's married, two kids, drives a 1993 Dodge minivan. And he remains assistant manager.Brian Ralph Johnson: Three weeks after serving his saturday detention for bringing a flare gun to school, Brian actually did commit suicide. There is a physics scholarship at school in his name.John Bender: Served 2 years for manslaughter in the beating death of his father. He always maintained it was self defense. After prison, Bender was quieter, and more determined. He took a job as a plumber's assistant with a local company, worked his way up to journeyman, and eventually master plumber. He owns his own plumbing business now, with five service trucks, a commercial division, and 18 employees. Bender, his wife and three daughters recently moved into a $335,000 five bedroom home in a nice subdivision. His girls are excellent students.Claire Standish: Graduated from Bennington and studied art in Paris. She married an up and coming young attorney and moved into his NYC apartment. They had no children. Recently divorced, she joined the Peace Corps and has overcome two bouts of malaria working with the poor native Indian population of southern Mexico. She has never been happier.Allison Reynolds: She's still in town, still wearing those bohemian trendy outfits scavanged from the Goodwill store. You can find her in a local cafe or bookstore. She smokes, and she denies she is an alcoholic. She is.Principal Richard Vernon: He remains principal, and with three years to go until retirement, Vernon is counting the days. He used to dream that former students would come up to him in the grocery store and thank him. He doesn't any more.
Posted by: Chase Squires | April 18, 2006 at 02:39 PM
Re: Back to the Future.Yeah, probably. The whole "what are you, chicken?" story line driver was, well, lame.
Posted by: brad | April 17, 2006 at 03:29 AM
It would be too hard to recreate the classic Hughes movies like Pretty In Pink, Breakfast Club, etc. It's hard to translate that feel into adult life and it would have to be adult life because nobody would accept any sequel without the original characters. Well, no adults. It would have been funny to see a sequel to Weird Science, but they already did The 40 Year Old Virgin. I could easily see writers going with the old high school reunion gag for a sequel to many of the Hughes movies, but how could that equal to hiding from Vernon during Saturday school?
Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2006 at 07:51 PM
Interesting side question: Would Back to the Future had been better if they hadn't made two sequels to it? I would have enjoyed the whole "leave it to your imagination" aspect of no sequels.
Posted by: Steve Spears | April 16, 2006 at 10:47 AM
There must be more rumors about sequels to Hughes films than any other.There was also a rumor roughly a year ago that Hughes and all of the original cast signed on to do a sequel to Pretty In Pink. This all very well,but what could the plot possible be? Certainly not in the end that Andie gets together with Duckie,audiences didnt like that in the promo version,I can't see them liking the idea now.Most of Hughes films are great as they are I dont think there need be a sequel to any of them. You would need all the right parts to make a great sequel (i.e. The original cast,director, producer, and last but not least script.) If one part is missing the whole thing fails miserably. Why taint a classic with a bad sequel or a medicore for that matter. Some stories dont need " to be continued".
Posted by: Mirrorball Man | April 16, 2006 at 10:38 AM
I can think of worse movies to sequelize: Some Kind of Wonderful, Curly Sue, Weird Science...Hey, what about She's Having a Baby?
Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2006 at 09:54 AM
I think 32 Candles would work, but only if you brought back all the original actors, writers and director. And what are the odds of that? Zero.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2006 at 07:40 AM
Ferris would make for the best sequel. Let's just assume Ferris is president. Just update us on Sloane, Cameron and Mr. Rooney.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 16, 2006 at 04:59 AM
I don't think that they could recreate 16 Candles. You simply do not see a lot of really good and original writing in movies today and to do something trite would only tick off millions of rabid fans of the movie. As much as I would love to see Jake Ryan again...sigh. If they did it, I would still see though.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 15, 2006 at 11:11 PM
I wasn't too fond of a sequel anyway. Some movies just need to be what they are and live in our memories (how deep).Another suggestion for a show - what about popular UK comedy series from the 80s? Like "The young ones", did that ever make it to the US? Your #1 fan from the Netherlands, Dennie
Posted by: Dennie | April 15, 2006 at 03:17 PM