Written by Kianna Best on Jun 26, 2024. Posted in Production News

Nostalgia train to take off with new feature releases

The silver screen is set to welcome back familiar characters of the past for the upcoming slate of feature films for this year and next. From much anticipated sequels such as Freaky Friday 2, to reprised roles by Ralph Macchio and Eddie Murphy in The Karate Kid and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, the cinema line up is a blast from the past.

Image courtesy of Disney

Remakes and long awaited sequels are nothing new to the yearly Hollywood rollout, with nostalgia being a reliable tool for audience attraction, but not always box office success. This half of the year alone, cinemas welcome droves of viewers to see Will Smith and Martin Lawrence play infamous cop duo Mike Lowrey and Marcus Miles Burnett for action comedy Bad Boys: Ride or Die. With streaming platforms offering collections of cult classics and old time favourites, original audiences aren't the only ones taking note of the upcoming releases, as younger audiences across gen z and even gen alpha are latching on to fandoms and making the newfound phenomena their own.

Walt Disney Productions have confirmed that Freaky Friday 2 filming is underway, welcoming back the beloved mother daughter duo played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. Taking place 20 years after the first movie, the upcoming flick will see Tess and Anna Coleman switch with two 14 year-old girls Harper, Anna’s daughter and her fiancé’s daughter Lily. The new film will also welcome back Mark Harmon as Ryan and Chad Michael Murray as Jake, as well as newcomers Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, and Manny Jacinto. Announced 11 years after the release of the first movie, the sequel will be directed by Nisha Ganatara, and produced by Andrew Gunn and Kristin Burr.

Image courtesy of Netflix

Following suit with reprised roles, Eddie Murphy stepped back into the shoes of Axel Foley for the Netflix resurgence of Beverly Hills Cop. The upcoming feature titled Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F began filming in Detroit in November 2022 and wrapped in early 2023. 40 years on from the original, the film set for release on the streamer on 3 July, will star Joseph Gordon-Levitt as detective Bobby Abbott, Kevin Bacon as Captain Cade Grant, Taylor Paige as Jane Saunders, Judge Reinhold as lieutenant William “Billy” Rosewood, John Ashton as chief John Taggart, Paul Reiser as inspector Jeffrey Friedman, and Bronson Pinchot as Serge.

Ralph Macchio is stepping back into the role of Daniel LaRusso for the 2025 release of The Karate Kid. The 40^th anniversary release for the first film creates a bridge between the original and the 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith. To do this, Jackie Chan will also reprise his role as Mr. Han. After an initial delay with releasing, the new iteration of the film wrapped filming this month, still keeping particular details of the plot under wraps. The movie joins the popularity of the franchises spin off series Cobra Kai that just finished up its second season filming in Atlanta Georgia.