Why there's still hope for a sequel to The Goonies, and what it might be~

Every few years, someone gets our hopes up for a sequel to the beloved 1985 fantasy adventure film The Goonies. The movie became a cult hit, continuing to play in revival houses to this day, but a sequel always seemed like its own kind of fantasy, even when the cast reunited for the DVD release and started talking about plans~

That fizzled when reality set in about scheduling the likes of Josh Brolin and Sean Astin, not to mention cast members who have long since retired from acting~

But Chris Columbus, who wrote the script to the original Goonies, now says that he has received word that director Richard Donner might actually be re-assembling the cast. Columbus is currently directing Goonies cast member Joe Pantoliano (he played Francis Fratelli) in Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief~

"[Pantoliano] said that Richard Donner talked to him about six months ago about the sequel," Columbus said. "I think the only way it could be done is if the kids are now the parents, and their kids have become the Goonies. I still think the two brothers are still alive and well, so they could still be in the movie. So it's a matter of whether or not they could re-create that concept."~

The Goonies centered on a group of kids who lived in the the Goon Docks together. They would play outside and go on adventures. The film chronicled their quest for the pirate treasure of One-Eyed Willie in the caves under their town. Perhaps the biggest hurdle for a Goonies 2 would be believing that modern kids would play outside~

"I don't know if that's possible anymore," Columbus said. "Maybe if all the parents in the new Goonie movie forbid their kids to play on the Internet, that's gotta be the plot. You can't go anywhere near a computer or cell phone. I guess the adventures are online."~

Columbus added that he believes there's a new, younger fan base for the original movie that could bolster a sequel. "Most of the 20-year-olds or 23-year-olds I work with—particularly on Percy Jackson— they do have this love of the '80s, this obsession with the '80s, and they're really convinced that the '80s are this magical time," he said. "I guess part of it is what you're saying, that you could hang out and go on an adventure."~

In the meantime, fans can re-watch the original Goonies and see the cast reunite for the upcoming 25th anniversary. For their part, Pantoliano and Columbus plan to celebrate it. "The first thing he said to me [was], 'You gonna go to the Goonies reunion?'" Columbus said. "I said, 'I didn't know there was one.' It's a year and a half from now, and they're getting everyone together, because I think it's the 25th anniversary of the film. I said, 'Yeah, I'd love to see everybody.'"~