40 years later, a St. Elmo’s Fireplace sequel may be very almost within the works.
Few issues higher embody Eighties Hollywood than the enduring Brat Pack.
The current Hulu Brat Pack documentary, Brats, has had many waxing nostalgic of that indelible period. That features the movie the place the actors (partly) earned their collective label: St. Elmo’s Fireplace.
Now, one of many planet’s largest media firms is wanting into what a St. Elmo’s Fireplace sequel will appear to be.
‘St. Elmo’s Fireplace’ helped outline a era of younger actors
Literal St. Elmo’s Fireplace refers to an atmospheric phenomenon involving plasma. Also referred to as witchfire, which is frankly a a lot cooler identify, the outstanding visible impact served as each a warning and a constructive omen to sailors.
The 1985 movie of the identical identify follows a gaggle of current Georgetown graduates navigating early maturity. Sexuality, relationships, accountability, and extra interweave amongst a pal group within the coming-of-age basic.
Ostensibly, St. Elmo’s Fireplace takes its identify from a bar that options within the movie, St. Elmo’s. Nevertheless, the approaching adjustments as this group of associates expertise sudden adjustments have symbolic hyperlinks to a visual flash of plasma throughout a thunderstorm that usually heralds a lightning strike. It additionally resonated with numerous younger grownup viewers.
In response to a June 2024 report by Deadline, Sony is exploring a possible St. Elmo’s Fireplace sequel.
Nevertheless, there can be one crucial ingredient to make a sequel value it after a four-decade wait: reuniting the unique forged.
That might imply Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Mare Winningham would all must signal on.
Does ‘St. Elmo’s Fireplace’ want a sequel?
Only a few movies “want” a sequel. However, to be blunt, traditionally few movies have had sufficient residing forged members to create a sequel 40 years later with out recasts.
Sequels can take many types. Some meet up with the unique characters. Others focus upon a brand new era. Lots of the authentic characters — individuals who had been of their twenties in 1895 — might simply now be grandparents.
That has a whole lot of potential attraction, particularly for individuals who loved the shock summer time hit in 1985 and associated to the characters. That stated, generally contemplating the load of how a lot time has handed can hit folks like a really miserable wrecking ball.
Nevertheless, as many — together with Deadline — have identified, the sequel potential right here is intriguing.
And it’s definitely far more attention-grabbing than a remake. Remakes have their place — there are various basic movies that underwent vicious censorship or just lacked the finances or results to reside as much as their potential. However … not every thing wants a remake, simply as not every thing wants a sequel.
If a St. Elmo’s Fireplace sequel is de facto going to occur, they’ll want everybody on board. A movie couldn’t get away with many absences with out folks questioning why they bothered.
Why the sudden curiosity in ’80s motion pictures?
One might write essays on the (maybe misplaced) fixation upon the Eighties. Every era appears to fixate upon eras of the previous — or, no less than, upon their aesthetic and media from that point. Maybe it’s a part of human nature.
Nevertheless, there’s little doubt that Andrew McCarthy’s Brats documentary on Hulu, which got here out this previous spring, has revived a whole lot of curiosity.
Nonetheless, whether or not the forged and potential viewers have curiosity or not, we shouldn’t get too excited. That is an unstable time for the leisure business. Loads of thrilling tasks by no means see the sunshine of day.
