Rob Lowe shares major update on 'St Elmo's Fire' sequel: "Trying to get it done"
Washington, June 28
More than four decades after 'St Elmo's Fire' became a defining coming-of-age drama of the 1980s, actor Rob Lowe has confirmed that work on a long-awaited sequel is progressing, with the team currently focused on developing the script.
Appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the six-time Golden Globe nominee shared an update on the project, saying the filmmakers are committed to getting the screenplay right before moving ahead.
"I'm trying to get it done, but I'm excited," Lowe said, adding, "I think the reason that St. Elmo's continues to mean a lot to people is that it's such a great snapshot of your 20s," as per Deadline.
He added that the enthusiasm for a sequel extends across the original cast.
"Everyone wants to do it. We just need to get the script right, and that's what we're working on," he said as per Deadline.
Lowe has spoken previously about the possibility of revisiting the beloved film. In 2024, he told in an interview that the sequel was in its "very early stages" after he had "met with the studio."
He also said the documentary Brats "only added to the excitement around" the original film and a potential follow-up.
Released in 1985 and directed by Joel Schumacher, 'St Elmo's Fire' starred Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andie MacDowell, Andrew McCarthy, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez.
The film followed a group of recent college graduates as they navigated adulthood and the challenges of life after university.
The original cast reunited for Andrew McCarthy's 2024 documentary Brats, which revisited the cultural impact of the so-called Brat Pack, a group of young actors frequently associated with popular coming-of-age films of the 1980s.
A separate television adaptation of 'St Elmo's Fire' had previously been in development at NBC in 2019 as a modernised take on the original story, but the project did not move forward.
While no release timeline or additional production details have been announced, Lowe's latest comments indicate that efforts to bring 'St Elmo's Fire' back to the screen continue, with the script remaining the current priority.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Not familiar with this film, I'm more into Bollywood stuff. But the cast photos I've seen look cool - Demi Moore was stunning back then. Good luck to them, sequels rarely match the original magic though.
I remember watching this on a rainy Sunday at my friend's place in Bengaluru - such a classic. Rob Lowe's still got that charm. The "get the script right" mantra is sensible, but I wish Hollywood would create more original stories instead of mining the 80s every time. Nostalgia tax is real. Still, if done right, could be interesting to see these characters in their 60s navigating modern life.
I've never seen the original but I love 80s American cinema - it's so different from our masala movies. The documentary 'Brats' sounds interesting too, exploring that whole Brat Pack phenomenon. Hope they release this worldwide on OTT platforms, we don't get many older Hollywood films in Indian theaters.
The original was ahead of its time. But Hollywood sequel culture is exhausting - they're milked to death. Almost 40 years later? These actors are seniors now. A modernized TV adaptation that got shelved was probably a blessing. Let sleeping classics sleep. My two cents: focus on fresh scripts. Waiting eagerly... but not holding my breath. 🙄
Disappointed the TV adaptation didn't go through - that could have introduced the story to a new generation. A film sequel decades later rarely works well, look at Top Gun: Maverick though, so maybe there's hope. I'll watch it for the nostalgia
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