Earlier this week, Ke Huy Quan cemented a huge comeback to acting with a Golden Globe victory for his supporting role in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” It’s an unprecedented career resurgence for the actor, as Quan gave up on acting nearly 30 years ago. But after the Daniels brought him back for their latest film, it’s as if anything and everything (no pun intended) is possible for Quan.
And, of course, “what’s next?” was the question de la nuit in the press room on Tuesday night for Quan, particularly this rendition: will there be a sequel to “The Goonies” in the future? Next to “Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom,” the 1985 kids’ adventure film is Quan’s most notable performance. So did Quan have any scoop on that possibility? EW reports that yes, indeed Quan does. There have been “numerous scripts” for a “Goonies” sequel over the years, but Quan says none of them felt on par with the original film’s magic.
“We have the big man here tonight, Steven Spielberg, and I think that’s one question that all of us want to ask him,” Quan said, in the Golden Globes press room (Spielberg originally conceived of the story for “The Goonies”). “Honestly, for the last 30 years, we’ve tried to do a “Goonies 2.” When I was much younger, I wished it would come to pass because that’s the movie I thought I would need to make a career comeback. Honestly, we had numerous scripts, but there was not one script that felt like it would be up to what the original was.” So, while there’s interest in returning to the kids from “The Goonies,” no one wants to tarnish the original film by producing a new movie with a not-so-great script.
But Quan mentioned another reason a sequel to “The Goonies” hasn’t manifested: the 2021 death of the original film’s director, Richard Donner. Quan cited Donner’s passing as leaving the film’s family without “the captain of our ship.” As for the possibility of a sequel now, Quan doesn’t know for certain. “I really don’t know if there’s going to be a “Goonies 2,” he continued. “But, I would be open to revisiting that character, Data, if there is an opportunity.”
“The Goonies” follows a pack of young teenage boys searching for legendary pirate treasure in their hometown of Astoria, Oregon. Alongside Quan, the film also stars Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Joe Pantoliano, Jeff Cohen, Martha Plimpton, and Kerri Green. The film made $125 at the global box office off a $19 million budget, but its fame comes from its legendary cult status on the ’80s kids’ film echelon. For movie fans of a certain generation, “The Goonies” is a cornerstone film of their childhood.
But who knows if “The Goonies 2” will ever happen. So what is definite in Ke Huy Quan’s future? Supporting roles in upcoming TV shows like “Loki” Season 2 and “American Born Chinese.” Quan also has a leading role in The Russo Bros‘ upcoming Netflix sci-fi film “The Electric State,” due in 2024.