David Zaslav’s reputation in showbiz has been pretty tumultuous, to say the least. From announcing layoffs at TCM and kickstarting the trend of removing movies and shows from streaming platforms to canning finished movies like Batgirl and Coyote vs. Acme, Zaslav hasn’t exactly been the idea head.
David Zaslav at the Dealbook Summit | Credit: The NY Times/YouTube
While WB is gearing for an auteur-driven 2025, which includes works from PTA, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Bong Joon Ho, on the flip side, WB is reportedly bringing back two classic IPs that might risk ruining their legacy.
We don’t need sequels to beloved ’80s classics
The Goonies | Credit: Warner Bros.
After milking the superhero glitch in the blockbuster landscape, in recent years, mainstream Hollywood has been attempting to find its next big cash cow, and legacy sequels seem to be right up their alley. Although certain legacy sequels, including WB’s Beetlejuice 2, got it right, the reports (via Deadline) of new Gremlins and Goonies seem to be a play on fans’ nostalgia, which doesn’t make sense as most of us are content with the originals.
Even though a case can be made about Gremlins, The Goonies, one of the most beloved ’80s movies needs no retelling. Although not much has been unveiled about the reported Goonies flick, given how iconic the Richard Donner-led flick was, it’d be disastrous for us fans to see a repeating of The Matrix Resurrection situation.
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It also doesn’t help that David Zaslav has already canceled two finished productions of original works, and the new additions to these classic IPs could very much be nostalgia-fest corporate builds.
The reported Gremlins sequel should let Chris Columbus do his thing
Gremlins | Credit: Warner Bros.
Unlike the new Goonies film, which seems uncalled for, the Gremlins sequel at least has something going for it, as original writer Chris Columbus is reportedly involved with the threequel.
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Moreover, per the writer’s previous interview with Collider, Columbus revealed that a potential Gremlin 3 will take the classic route instead of heavily relying on CGI.
I wrote a script, so there is an existing script. We’re working out some rights issues right now, so we’re just trying to figure out when the best time to make that film would be. I would still do it the same way – I would do it as tangible puppets, not CGI. Maybe having — you know we had one stop-motion scene in the first Gremlins, but I don’t think I’d use much CGI in Gremlins 3
Hopefully, Columbus will be given complete freedom creatively over the reported threequel, and moving forward, studios should start banking on originals instead of legacy sequels or any other nostalgia-driven narratives.
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