Goonies never say die! It’s been 35 years since the Richard Donner-directed adventure pic The Goonies was released and became a benchmark in pop culture and served as a touchstone for the childhood of many. As episode one the series “Reunite Apart” with Josh Gad, which helps raise funds for a charity in each episode.
The first episode raised funds for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to support their COVID-19 Response Fund. Gad welcomed the main cast including Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Jeff Cohen, Ke Huy Quan, Martha Plimpton and Kerri Green. They reminisced about filming the movie and they also welcomed surprise guests throughout the reunion.
Joe Pantoliano and Robert Davi who played the villainous Fratelli brothers popped up during the conversation as well as writer Chris Columbus, executive producer Steven Spielberg and director Richard Donner. Cyndi Lauper, who wrote the movie’s memorable track “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough”, also made a cameo.
The cast reenacted scenes from the movie which Columbus joked they performed better now than they did then. They also shared behind-the-scenes stories and footage from the movie. And then the topic of a sequel came up (not to be confused with the forthcoming Fox pilot).
“Chris, Dick and I — and Lauren [Shuler Donner] — have had a lot of conversations about it,” said Spielberg. “Every couple of years we come up with an idea but then it doesn’t hold water.”
He continued to say that the cast and crew raised the bar on this genre so high that they weren’t able to find an idea that is better than The Goonies they made in the ’80s. He added, “Until we do, people are just going to have to look at this [livestream] a hundred times!”
Donner chimed in jokingly, “How are you going to find seven miserable kids like this again that are new and fresh?”
It all ended with the cast giving love to the first responders in the COVID-19 cirsis and they all participated in a sing-along to “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” before a title card popped up dedicating the livestream it to cast members John Matuszak, Anne Ramsey, Keith Wlaker, Mary Ellen Trainor and Lupe Ontiveros who have all passed.
Watch the full reunion below.
This content was originally published here.