It was the 1985 coming-of-age film about a group of seven friends struggling with post-college life. Wondering whether their once-unbreakable friendships could survive as they transitioned into adulthood.
While it may have been deemed a flop by critics, St Elmo’s Fire exceeded expectations at the box office. But it’s the impact it went on to have in the years that followed that defined it. A key movie of Hollywood’s “Brat Pack” era, it starred Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy and Mare Winningham as the recent Georgetown University graduates who frequent local hangout St Elmo’s Bar.
A combination of its ’80s nostalgia factor, all-star cast and relatable themes of struggles with love, friendships, careers and general life direction have seen the film become a cult hit throughout the years. So it should come as no surprise that a long-awaited sequel is finally in the works.
St Elmo’s Fire racked up its 40th anniversary recently. Star Rob, who played saxophone-playing playboy married father-of-one Billy, confirmed the project is moving ahead and looking great!
“We’re working on the script and it’s really getting good,” the 61-year-old told People magazine. “I think it’s super-valid to revisit those characters that continue to mean a lot to people and watch them navigate this chapter of life, because arguably this chapter of life is every bit as interesting and fraught as, ‘What do I do when I get out of college?’”
The whole gang’s back
Rob previously told website Today.com that everyone in the cast was on board for the sequel and “super-excited”, pending the script. “Everybody wants to do it,” he said.
“We’re going to give it a last hurrah with this one for sure.”
Along with Rob as Billy, the cast includes Emilio as Kirby, the aspiring lawyer who worked as a waiter at St Elmo’s Bar to pay his way through law school, Andrew as Kevin, a writer for The Washington Post, Judd as Alec, the wannabe politician with a penchant for cheating, and Demi as banker Jules, a party girl who lived a life of excess. There’s also Ally as Leslie, Alec’s independent budding architect girlfriend, who wasn’t ready to settle down and marry him, and Mare as wealthy Wendy, a social worker, who was deeply in love with Billy.
Speculation abounds that, along with the original cast, a group of new young stars will round out the line up – possibly playing some of the characters’ children.
Better late than never
The movie sequels that were decades in the making
Top Gun: Maverick
A follow-up to Tom Cruise’s Oscar-winning 1986 film Top Gun was first announced in 2010. With a draft screenplay written two years later. But when director Tony Scott died, the project was shelved. In 2017, production began with principal photography taking place 2018 – 2019. Due to COVID, Top Gun: Maverick’s planned release was delayed to May 2022.
Gladiator II
Taking home five Oscars, Russell Crowe’s 2000 smash Gladiator was destined for a sequel as early as 2001. But when DreamWorks Pictures was sold to Paramount in 2006, development stalled. Gladiator II was officially announced in 2018, with casting revealed in 2023 and filming underway from 2023 to 2024, delayed by the SAG-AFTRA strikes. It premiered in late 2024.
Twisters
Nominated for two Oscars following its 1996 release, talks of a Twister sequel didn’t begin until 2020. While there were initial ideas of a continuation focused around Helen Hunt’s character and potentially her daughter, they were ultimately rejected for a standalone sequel. The cast was announced in early 2023 with filming taking place mid-year, before Twisters premiered in July 2024.
