There Was a Script For a LAST STARFIGHTER Sequel in 2005 That Would have Brought Back The Original Cast

A few months ago we learned that Rogue One writer Gary Whitta was writing a reboot/sequel of the classic 1984 sci-fi adventure film The Last Starfighter. You can get some more information on that here. But, there was a sequel for the film in development back in 2005. I didn't know anything about this until now! 

The news came from the director of the original film Nick Castle. While talking to Bloody-Disgusting, he said that they had a fun script that would have brought back the original cast:

"This was 10 years ago or more, maybe 12 years ago. I think it was 2005 and it was going to be at that point a 30 year, 35 year sequel. It was literally a sequel where Lance [Guest] and Catherine Marie [Stewart], the leads were going to come back as parents. We had a fun script so I’m not sure right now where Jonathan [Betuel] is going to take it. He has a partner named Gary Whitta who wrote Rogue One so he’s in good company there. Hopefully, they’ll mount something fun and we’ll see our characters again."

With the upcoming reboot also being described as a sequel, there's a chance that we will see those original characters again. I hope so, anyway! Castle does say that he hopes to get involved somehow:

"Now just this last year, the writer has retained the rights legally now. So he’s going to go out a second time around and get this thing done. I won’t be a part of it as a director. Hopefully, I’ll help out in the background but we’d love to do that. It’s so ready. The ‘80s, of course, are being mined by everything. It’s like the last thing that has not gotten remade or had a sequel. I’d love to see that continue on."

He goes on to talk about CGI work that was done for the film back in the 80s. It was really ground-breaking stuff back then, but as you might imagine... it hasn't aged well over time. It's still charming to watch, though! 

"Those were real baby steps back then. It was impressive, that’s for sure, because no one really had done that It looks so dated now. I look back and I cringe. The work that can be done now, it’s ubiquitous. You do it, it’s so well done, the artists are amazing. When we did it it was all research and development that went on at the same time as we were doing the movie. It certainly was, from a historical point of view, an important movie in that sense. Now, of course, that won’t be the issue. It will be using technology that everyone’s familiar with."

It would have been cool to see The Last Starfighter get a sequel back in the day, but at least it's happening now and I'm pretty excited about that. I'm pretty pumped up about seeing what comes of it. I love that early concept art that was shared!