After failing to secure an official series order from Fox, Variety brings word that Warner Bros. Television is officially redeveloping Amblin’s potential The Goonies reenactment series which has now been titled as Our Time. The project, which aims to bring back the beloved coming-of-age comedy adventure film in the form of a scripted series, has been acquired by Disney+.
It was first announced in 2020 when it received a pilot order from Fox. However, it wasn’t able to move forward at Fox because the network felt that the potential series wasn’t the right fit for them in terms of its story, describing it as too young.
“Sarah worked nonstop to deliver this incredible script, we had our table read, and then the world shut down for COVID,” WBTV’s Exec VP and Head of Development, Clancy Collins White said in a statement. “So we came back many months later and finished the beautiful pilot, and it was an incredible cast, but unfortunately a little bit too young for Fox. And so we immediately swung into high gear and hit the town with it. We did not yet have anything in development at Disney Plus. It’s been another example of being able to carve a pathway where there wasn’t one by virtue of a great story, a great pilot, a great series. The deal has taken a while to make, but we’re really excited to be moving forward.”
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Our Time will feature a group of aspiring young filmmakers as they attempt to recreate Richard Donner and Steven Spielberg’s classic 1985 film The Goonies shot-by-shot. It will once again be written and created by Sarah Watson (The Bold Type, Parenthood). The Donner Company and Amblin Entertainment have also returned to produce the project.
“After failing to make it in New York and carrying a heavy secret with her, Stella Cooper returns to her distressed automotive hometown to substitute teach,” reads the project’s first synopsis when it was initially set up at Fox. “She finds inspiration, hope and ultimately salvation when she agrees to help three students who are pursuing their filmmaking dreams by putting on an impossibly ambitious shot-for-shot remake of one of the student’s favorite movies… The Goonies. Over the course of the season, their passion will inspire a town in desperate need of hope in this love letter to the power of cinema, storytelling, and dreams.”
The project will be executive produced by Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady for The Jackal Group; Lauren Shuler Donner; and Amblin TV’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey. Original film director Richard Donner, who died last July 5, 2021, at the age of 91, was previously involved as an executive producer.
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The Goonies was written by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg. It starred Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, and Martha Plimpton. The group was led by Astin’s Mikey Walsh, who finds a treasure map that leads them to One-Eyed Willy’s legendary lost treasure. Since the film’s debut, it has stood the test of time and has become a pop-culture staple among all ages. In 2017, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
