We can’t think of many cinematic unicorns out there that are more elusive than the decades-long quest to get a sequel to 1984’s The Last Starfighter to the screen. Even the mighty Steven Spielberg tried and failed to get the project moving but due to rights issues, the sci-fi classic has forever remained as a single film… until now that is, according to reports.
The original film follows video game expert Alex Rogan, who finds himself transported to another planet after conquering The Last Starfighter game, only to find out it was just a test. Instead, he has been recruited to join the team of best starfighters to defend their world from the attack.
Rogue One screenwriter Gary Whitta has been the latest in a long line of creative personnel to try and get a sequel into production, and with the release of the concept art and titles below, Whitta believes the project is closer than it has ever been to finally seeing the light of day. He took to Twitter to announce the following…
Here’s the sizzle reel for the LAST STARFIGHTER sequel I’ve been working on with original creator Jon Betuel. Thanks so much to Matt Allsopp (ROGUE ONE) for the concept art and @christilton for the amazing new version of Craig Safan’s soaring theme music. https://t.co/q0NOHFvboX
— Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) March 25, 2021
In a separate livestream, Whitta outlined just how close the project is to fruition, stating “we are, I believe, very, very close. Closer than anyone has ever been to making a new Last Starfighter movie, like right on the one-yard line. After pushing the boulder uphill for many years we are very, very close. I can’t really say anything more other than that because there’s all stuff happening behind the scenes, there’s things I can’t tell you, but we’re very, very close and I believe it will happen.”
You can check out the sizzle reel above, and we’d urge you to, especially if you are a fan of the 1980s original.
Here’s hoping that Whitta and his team can finally get the gears moving on this one as contains a formula that, in the right hands, could be truly thrilling. We’ll brig you more updates on this one as we hear it, hopefully soon…
