The Lost Boys (2020)

The Lost Boys is a 2020 American vampire comedy horror films directed by Todd Phillips and written by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein from a screenplay written by the film's original director, Joel Schumacher. The film is also a reboot and a sequel of the classic 1987 horror comedy, The Lost Boys.

The film is also produced by Jason Blum, Joel Schumacher and Oren Peli.

The film takes place almost thirty years after the first film with Micheal Emerson, Star and Edgar Frog along with Micheal and Star's daughter Haley fighting against a new group of vampires lead by David who survived his death and is looking for revenge.

The film stars Dylan Minnette, Finn Wolfhard, Molly Ringwald, Bailee Madison, Darce Montgomery, Skyler Gisondo, Liv Hewson, Alexandra Shipp, John Lithgow, Sam Clarke, Haley Lu Richardson, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Jason Patric and Corey Feldman.

The Lost Boys was released on July 31st, 2020 and distributed by Warner Bros Pictures and Blumhouse Productions.

The film received a positive reaction from critics and fans of the original movie and was a major box office success

Plot

The film opens up in 1987 where the first film left off with Edgar and Alan Frog leaving the Emerson house while trying figure out how to pay Micheal Emerson and his family for the damage to Grandpa's house but the brothers strategy to come up with the money evolves into a fight which was interrupted by an unknown force that swoops down the from the sky grabs Alan and carries him away with Edgar in hot pursuit but to no avail.

Back at the house, Micheal looks over to the set of antlers and finds David has disappeared, realizing in horror that his grandfather was right and that David is still alive. Before he has time to warn Star, Sam and Lucy, he hears Edgar's distressed screams and runs outside to find Edgar in tears while holding Alan's bloodied bandana implying that David killed him

29 years later in 2016, The Messina Family has moved from Davenport, Iowa to Santa Carla, California with divorced mother Susan and her two sons Jake and Davy moving into the old Emerson house which is now renovated and the plumbing fixed. After getting settled in, Susan and the boys head down to the boardwalk where they hang out and ride the rides. While looking around the boardwalk, Jake runs into a local, Haley Emerson. While they get acquainted, two twin girls Tilly and Tammy pick on Haley for her relation to Micheal Emerson but three mysterious girls stand up to her and tell them off. As Haley thanks them, the trio suddenly leave.

Meanwhile, Davy finds the comic book shop once owned by the Frog brothers but is now own by their estranged father, Mortimer Frog. While Davy browses for a copy of "Vampires Everywhere", he runs into Edgar, who is now an alcoholic due to Alan's death in the past and considers the existence of vampires as a lie. This upsets Davy who turns out to be his big fan. While looking around Max's video store, Susan meets Haley's parents, Micheal and Star who are running the store. Susan and Star become fast friends with Micheal inviting Susan and her sons to a welcome cookout later that afternoon.

During a family night out between the Messina's and the Emerson's, the kids run into the three girls who stood up to Haley and reveal themselves as Luna, Angel and Nova. While talking to the girls, Haley becomes attracted to a surfer named Julian and falls in love with him much to Jake's chagrin.

Cast

Jason Patric as Micheal Emerson

Corey Feldman as Edgar Frog

Jami Gertz as Star Emerson

Kiefer Sutherland as David

Molly Ringwald as Susan Messina

Dylan Minnette as Jake Messina

Finn Wolfhard as Davy Messina

Bailee Madison as Haley Emerson

Liv Hewson as Nova

Haley Lu Richardson as Angel

Alexandra Shipp as Luna

Darce Montgomery as Julian

Skyler Gisondo as Gabriel

Sam Clarke as Clint Messina

John Lithgow as Mortimer Frog

Noelle Sheldon as Tilly

Cali Sheldon as Tammy

Jamison Newlander as Alan Frog

Trivia

• In the initial development of this film back in the 1990's, the project was titled The Lost Girls during Joel Schumacher's futile attempt to get the sequel off the ground but when Jason Blum discovered the original screenplay, Joel Schumacher stepped down from the director's chair and acted as a creative consultant.
• John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are longtime fans of the original 1987 film and rewrote Schumacher's script into a full blooded and faithfully written screenplay.
• Due to the success of Joker (2019), Todd Phillips was approached by Jason Blum to reboot the film and after watching the original film, Phillips agreed to direct the sequel.
• Kiefer Sutherland said he was pleasantly surprised after reading the script labeling it, "THE TRUE SEQUEL TO THE MOST ICONIC VAMPIRE COMEDY OF THE 80'S." He also said that the film will introduce a new generation of fans to The Lost Boys Universe.
• In an interview, Jason Patric said that the film stayed true to the original movie and it doesn't add insult to injury also it has a climax that fans will never forget. He also said that the film was more gruesome and sassy but it never loses the heart of the 1987 film.
• The film was going to be released on August 28th, 2020 but it was pushed back to July 31st, 2020 honor the 32nd anniversary of the original movie.
• The Lost Boys (2020) is rated R for "strong bloody horror violence, some sexuality/nudity, grisly images and language throughout" by the MPAA.
• Finn Wolfhard's Stranger Things co-star Sadie Sink auditioned for the role of Haley Emerson, the daughter of Micheal and Star Emerson but it was given to Bailee Madison based on her performance in The Strangers: Prey At Night (2018). Sink would still come on to the set to visit Finn Wolfhard.
• Corey Feldman was initially livid about the idea for a sequel after 32 years but after production ended and seeing the rough cut, Feldman thought the film was just a fluid continuation of the first film and the sequel knocked it out of the park. He then considered the film to be even better that the direct to video sequels he worked on in the past.
• Cardi B and Shahadi Wright Joseph were considered for the role of Luna.
• Jason Patric originally didn't want to be a part of the sequel but changed his mind after reading the script.
• Leslie Mann, Judy Greer and Ellie Kemper were considered for the role of Susan Messina.
• Natalia Dyer, Virginia Gardener and Ana Golja auditioned for the role of Nova.
• Anya Taylor Joy, Isabella Moner, Jane Levy and Sabrina Carpenter were considered for the role of Angel.
• Stranger Things stars Finn Wolfhard and Darce Montgomery signed on to the project after watching the original movie.
• Like the original film, Shooting took place in Santa Cruz and lasted from July 2019 to September 2019.
• Liv Hewson signed on to play Nova for this film after her Netflix show Santa Clarita Diet had been canceled. Ironically, her co-star Skyler Gisondo also plays the vampire Gabriel in this film.
• Joel Schumacher said in an interview about the test screening saying,"This film has the heart and soul of the original Lost Boys from 1987 but its more stylish, gory, hilarious and pretty mean spirited. The screening was a success and the fans went beserk after the light went up which was good for the diehard fans to look forward to.
• In an interview, Jason Blum of Blumhouse said that this was a dream come true for his studio and Joel Schumacher who wanted to do this film since the 90's.
• The Lost Boys (2020) has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 87% with the consensus stating, "Sexier, funnier and even gorier than it's 1987 counterpart, The Lost Boys is a nostalgic and scary trip down memory lane without losing the original's charm as it stakes you into a gleefully ghoulish entertainment".
• Avril Lavigne and Marilyn Manson teamed up again for the soundtrack by performing an epic rock driven version of the original film's theme song, "Cry Little Sister" originally performed by Gerard McMann with Halsey and Kylie Minogue doing a duet cover of Echo and The Bunnyman's "People Are Strange".
• Kiefer Sutherland attended the test screening and praised Goldstein and Daley's act of fan service to The Lost Boys.
• The Lost Boys premiered at The 2020 Sundance Film Festival to a very positive reaction.