The Last Starfighter was an 80s science fiction classic that captivated audiences throughout
the following decades with its pleasing blend of video game and space opera elements mixed
with the timeless charm of the Arthurian legend.
This beloved IP has proven itself to be a white whale for Hollywood as numerous attempts
to reboot or sequelize the groundbreaking cult classic have stalled out.
However, the interest is still there and in a recent interview with Kurt and Wyatt Russel
the father and son duo revealed their desire to reboot the film.
In this video I’d like to examine their comments and review the history of The Last
Starfighter, covering everything we know about the most recent attempts to revitalize this
classic sci-fi universe.
The Last Starfighter premiered in 1984.
Directed by Nick Castle and written by Jonathan R. Betuel the film told the story of Alex
Rogan played by Lance Guest, an average teenager who embarks on an adventure beyond his wildest
dreams when he is recruited to fight in a real interstellar war after achieving the
highest score in the Starfighter arcade game at his local trailer park.
Along with Tron which premiered in 1982, The Last Starfighter is considered a trailblazer
in the history of cinema as one of the earliest films to make extensive use of computer generated
imagery using 3D rendered models for spaceships and other objects.
While groundbreaking, the CGI was very costly making up 14 million of the film’s 15 million
budget.
Raking in 29 million worldwide the film was far from the box office hit that was hoped
for.
However its legacy endured with a passionate fan base that continued to grow through the
years with its viewers captivated by the story and its lovable characters especially Robert
Preston’s Centauri, a character modeled after the actor’s iconic role as the Music
Man Professor Harold Hill.
Though it was a standalone film, the universe that Starfighter established was ripe for
exploration through additional stories and is no doubt the main reason why so many in
Hollywood have sought to expand the property.
In an interview with io9 Kurt and Wyatt Russel who starred together in the Apple tv plus
series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, were asked if there were any films or properties they’d
like to remake.
Wyatt chose The Last Starfighter with his reasoning being that the film was underdone,
that it has a lot of potential with the story to build upon the space world side of things
with Kurt adding that a bigger budget could do so much to help expand the universe.
Kurt also highlighted the connection he has to the original Starfighter film as he worked
with its director Nick Castle in the movies Escape from New York and Escape from LA.
Personally I would love for both Kurt Russel and his son Wyatt to be involved in a new
Last Starfighter movie.
Kurt is of course iconic, and Wyatt is a great actor in his own right.
Additionally, they both seem to be the perfect age and are at optimal points in their careers
to step into leading roles that mirror the original film.
I feel that Kurt would easily be able to command and capture the on-screen charisma and magic
of the similarly legendary Robert Preston, while Wyatt has the charm and talent to assume
the leading role.
In the interview Wyatt Russel also mentioned the repeated attempts to remake or continue
the franchise and says that he thinks the reason there hasn’t been any movement on
it is because the original owner of the IP will not let it go.
However, considering the owner’s comments about his desire to move forward with the
project, the chances for a potential continuation of the property are still very much alive.
As far back as 2008 there was a movement to make a new film when GPA Entertainment added
"Starfighter – The sequel to the classic motion picture Last Starfighter" to its list
of upcoming projects.
However, a couple months later, it was reported that the project had stalled in the pre-production
phase.
In the subsequent years the efforts to bring a sequel or remake to life had only been met
with insurmountable obstacles to acquire the necessary rights.
In 2014 when a fan-made modern trailer for the movie by Youtuber Tim Gonzales was making
the rounds, the struggle to produce a new Starfighter entry was brought to light.
Several filmmakers and writers took to social media to share their love of the film and
bemoan the difficulties to attempt to make a new one.
In a social media post, actor and producer Seth Rogan revealed “Spielberg himself told
me he couldn't get the rights after I told him how long I'd tried.”
According to Rogen the film’s original writer Jonathan Betuel retained all the rights to
Starfighter remakes and sequels and he had no interest in anything happening with the
film.
Later it would be confirmed that Betuel himself was embroiled in a battle to recapture the
rights to his brainchild.
With that cleared up however, Betuel retained ownership of the IP, and consequently no production
could move forward without his involvement.
Betuel clearly has an interest in expanding the universe of Starfighter but wants it to
be done right.
He eventually found a partner he was willing to collaborate with on a Starfighter reboot
or sequel in Garry Whitta.
In 2018 Whitta revealed that he and Jon were working on a new film saying that the two
had already spent many hours working on a new Starfighter story.
In an interview with Gizmodo Whitta said quote, “right now we have a fully developed story
that is a combination of reboot and sequel that we both think honors the legacy of the
original film while passing the torch to a new generation.
We’re both very excited about it creatively.”
The Rogue One Screenwriter further teased their early development efforts on social
media posting 8 concept art images by Matt Allsopp who was the lead concept artist on
ROGUE ONE.
The last word regarding this project was from Betuel in October 2020 in an interview with
Moviehole where he said quote: “It looks like we’ll be making the deal to get it
going.
Gary’s a gifted collaborator, we’ll be writing the script together but it’s taken
a long time.
I had to go through a process that took years to recapture the rights, but that was recently
completed and although nothing is ever clear sailing, it looks like we have a really good
opportunity now.
So I’m really looking forward to taking it up.
This is a movie with all the bells and whistles, and it won’t presuppose that you’ve seen
the original film.
There’ll be references here and there, but it’ll carry the saga forward.”
When asked about what he could share about the story Betuel said quote: “The leads
are now parents and time has passed.
It’s not a remake, it’s going to continue the story.
What’s changed is time itself, certainly as the video world and the alien world have
continued to tick away.
It’s not a time capsule of the 80s by any means, we’re taking it to the next level.
Passing the torch… or the joystick.”
With no word or significant developments since 2020 it appears as if the production has stalled
once again with the disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic and the writers and actors
strike that followed likely playing a major factor.
However with continuing comments from various parties like Kurt and Wyatt Russel, it's clear
that the interest in a new Starfighter movie has not waned.
I, for one, can’t help but be glad that Seth Rogen never got his hands on the rights
to this IP as I don’t think he’s the right fit considering his body of work.
Honestly in a landscape dominated by so many soulless sequels and reboots it is refreshing
to see the degree of protection Betuel has exerted over this film.
After all, while many fans want to see the continuation of the Last Starfighter universe,
it would be most tragic to see it exploited with a reboot that lacks the thoughtful care
required to tell a new story while honoring the original source material.
I do think it’s amazing that the Last Starfighter continues to be a source of persistent fascination.
Given the tendency for most modern science fiction films and television offerings to
gravitate toward a darker tone, there is certainly a significant portion of audiences who long
for a return to the classic era of lighthearted sci-fi adventure stories.
Therefore, I believe that this continued interest from various Hollywood writers, directors,
and actors reflects a broader desire to return to classic space opera adventures with stories
featuring a classic 80’s blend of humor, heart, and action.
I’m certainly not alone in hoping that things can get worked out behind the scenes with
this new Last Starfighter project paving the way for its triumphant return.
But I’m curious to know what you think of the continued interest in making a Last Starfighter
sequel or reboot.
Would you be interested in seeing Kurt and Wyatt Russel step into the leading roles for
this new film?
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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