The Last Starfighter sequel

[11Alive]

Catherine Mary Stewart teased this past summer that a sequel might finally be getting greenlighted.

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I have no idea what the news is since I don't want to slog through three months and several hundred of her Facebook posts to find it. I'm not sure I'd be all that enthusiastic about it, either. Sequels are more often than not bad news, inferior to the original movies that spawned them. I'm not sure it would stand out that much, either. Back then, CGI was groundbreaking. Today, a new Starfighter movie would be just another in a sea of sci-fi space battle movies, nothing special about it. Besides, the cast has aged so much in 34 years. Robert Preston has long since departed, and while Centauri could be easily recast since he was an alien wearing a human mask, I can't think of a current actor who could pull off that con man role. Lance Guest has shed most of the luxurious locks he once sported. A little hair gel and he would pass for a native Rylan. I dread that this could be analogous to how Tron: Legacy was made decades after the original and paled in comparison despite far superior graphics and the older film's script having a great many flaws.

 

[Mysterion]

I prefer to be left with my fond memories of the original, thank you.

 

[Awesome Possum]

A few months ago the writer of Rogue One mentioned he was working on a sequel script with the writer of the original.

 

[Professor Zoom]

I wouldn’t worry about it until it’s actually out on a schedule. And even then, until it’s starts filming, it still might not happen. Remember, Inhumans was supposed to be a movie, it was even on the schedule, Fiege got free and dumped it back to the TV division.

All that’s to say, lots of things are talked about, lots of scripts are written that never get made.

Existing properties and nostalgia sells. We have ourselves to blame. If we stopped seeing reboots, remakes and continuations of existing franchises, they would stop making them.

 

[DonIago]

Without Robert Preston I'm not sure this is something I'd care to see.

 

[11Alive]

I prefer to be left with my fond memories of the original, thank you.

Well, the truth is nothing can change that. I've watched Tron: Legacy and forgotten all but a few seconds of it, but I still like watching Tron, despite all its flaws. Likewise, while I've seen and disliked the prequel trilogy of Star Wars, not only are my decades-old memories of watching the original trilogy in the theaters intact, I still have a great time watching those old movies today. Or more apropos, I've watched the JJverse movies once each and decided they're not worth wasting my time on ever again (likewise Generations and Nemesis). But I can and do still enjoy TOS and some of its movies, DS9, a few TNG eps and even Voyager.

 

[FormerLurker]

Someone has to say it: Catherine Mary Stuart looks amazing.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Hate to necro here, but doing it anyway. There's a new story out and a concept reel.

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During a Twitch stream on Thursday, Whitta shared they’re “right on the one yard line” of making a new The Last Starfighter movie. He’s been working on the sequel with the original film’s writer, Jonathan Betuel, for a while. Whitta added they’ve been “pushing the boulder uphill for years” and now they’re so close. And he clarified this would be a sequel continuing the original movie’s storyline and preserving it as canon

 

[valkyrie013]

=÷%÷×÷%*\\ excellent!
Hope he pulls it over the line soon!

 

[Reverend]

Reality check: If they're putting out something like this then it means they're having trouble getting traction with the project and they're hoping a groundswell of fan support will get the money peoples' attention. That almost never works, and when it does it's usually for something with a MASSIVE in-built audience, and/or someone at the studio willign to stick their neck out for it.

Personally I'm not exactly itching for a follow up to this. While the original certainly had a certain charm, and earned it's place in pop culture history...it's still something of cult movie. On balance much more derivative than it was influential. I'm not saying a follow-up or reboot couldn't be fun (and I truly hope they get a shot at it), it just doesn't feel like something that's burning to be made.

And for the record; I'm one of those weird people that actually enjoyed Tron: Legacy, probably more than the original (better story, better characterisation, has an actual plot etc.)

 

[JD]

That looks pretty cool. I watched the first one a few years ago, but I don't really remember it all that well, so I don't have a huge emtional investment in whether or not the sequel gets made. If it does, I'll see it, but I won't be disappointed if it doesn't.

 

[Oddish]

Reminds me of when they were trying to do "The Music Man" movie. They wanted to dispense with Robert Preston in favor of box office insurance. Someone was talking about Frank Sinatra ( ), but fortunately that didn't happen. Cary Grant was reportedly approached, but refused, saying no one could do it better than Preston. Thankfully, they finally decided to cast Preston... otherwise, there'd have been REAL trouble in River City!

 

[Owain Taggart]

Personally I'm not exactly itching for a follow up to this. While the original certainly had a certain charm, and earned it's place in pop culture history...it's still something of cult movie. On balance much more derivative than it was influential. I'm not saying a follow-up or reboot couldn't be fun (and I truly hope they get a shot at it), it just doesn't feel like something that's burning to be made.

Agreed. It's been so long since I've seen the movie, but I feel it's one of those 80's movies that is what it is due to the 80's, and isn't something that would exactly be deserving of a sequel. Studio execs are probably banking on nostalgia, but for that to work, I think it would have to be more memorable than it is.

 

[Oddish]

One of the weirdest things I ever saw was a VHS version of "Last Starfighter" I bought awhile ago... for some reason, they had given it a 90's-era "edited for television" treatment. The action was intact, but most of the bad language (what little there was) was cut out.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Agreed. It's been so long since I've seen the movie, but I feel it's one of those 80's movies that is what it is due to the 80's, and isn't something that would exactly be deserving of a sequel. Studio execs are probably banking on nostalgia, but for that to work, I think it would have to be more memorable than it is.

I feel like endless move sequels are so overdone, that doing one for a semi-obscure 80's flick is a nice change of pace.

I actually have the original movie in DVD form, but may not have actually popped the DVD in since I bought it. It might have been since it was on cable in the 80's that I last saw it. Good movie though, a good 80's fun movie.

 

[Reverend]

A good movie is a good movie. I don't care if it's an original IP, the 4 millionth sequel in a series, or a reboot. (See also: bad movies.)

In this particular case I feel like my disinterest comes from two main factors. First off, the original movie wasn't all that that original, and it's execution left a fair amount to be desired (the fact I can't remember who or what the villain was is also not a good sign.) Secondly, the basic hook of this movie is the only thing that makes if feel kinda unique, and not just a slightly more flashy Roger Corman joint (seriously, I used to always get 'The Last Starfighter' confused with 'Battle Beyond the Stars'), and it's already been done sooo much better in the form of 'Galaxy Quest'.

Honestly, I feel like a better place to expand this franchise isn't with another movie, but a well put together videogame. I mean the premise is so tied into that medium it's crazy they they've never really tried to tap into it directly.

 

[Oddish]

They could do a semi-faithful remake instead of a sequel... instead of a console video game, the Rylosians produce a Playstation game, and recruit anyone who beats the final level.

It doesn't always work, that Total Recall remake was absolute trash (they gave the initial fight scene a higher body count [10+ dead instead of only 4] but toned it down for a PG-13 rating, still don't get that). But that's another way to do it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Battle Beyond The Stars had the ship with boobs But as a Roger Corman flick, I gotta add it to my collection

But yeah, both are kind of 80's generic sci-fi in their way.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Battle Beyond The Stars had the ship with boobs

And the shape of the female reproductive system.

 

[publiusr]

There’s a cross-over...