Goonies sequel advances with first draft submitted

Screenwriter Potsy Ponciroli said Friday that a long-awaited sequel to the 1985 adventure The Goonies is moving forward, with a first draft submitted and a second draft about 95 percent complete, though a director and production start date have not yet been set. Ponciroli made the remarks while speaking at an event in Venice, saying the first draft was "very well received" and that he is "moving in the right direction."

Ponciroli, who was formally revealed as the project scribe earlier this year, acknowledged online skepticism about revisiting a beloved film but stressed his reverence for the original. "I know there's a lot of do we need a new Goonies, but I'm the biggest fan of the original, it's my favorite movie of all time," he said. "I'd never redo The Goonies. To me it was a story that never ended, so this is the movie I want to see as one of its biggest fans." He also said he was unsure when the film would move into production.

Warner Bros. is backing the sequel, with Amblin Entertainment figures Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario set to produce alongside Chris Columbus, and Lauren Shuler Donner listed as an executive producer, according to reports....