Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow may be headed back to high school. A sequel to the 1997 cult comedy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is in the works. In an interview with Us Magazine, Sorvino reports that the long-belated sequel is on its way, saying that “Lisa and I are wrapping up our deals as executive producers on it with the studio. We’re full force ahead.” The sequel is to be written by Robin Schiff, who penned the original, but she’s not finished yet – according to Sorvino, the script is being held up by Schiff‘s commitments to Netflix‘s Emily in Paris, which is currently resuming post-strike production. The eccentric, fashion-obsessed characters of Romy and Michele originated in Schiff‘s 1988 play Ladies Room, which starred a pre-Friends Kudrow.
Sorvino goes on to elaborate on her hopes for the sequel, which will presumably cover their 40-year high school reunion, “I just still want them to be as relatable, but also as dumb and lovable as they ever were. Like, I don’t think they’ve learned that much in the time in between, but they still have that unstoppable spirit and that friendship and that idiocy that makes everybody kind of love them. And so, that essential nature of them and the heart that’s at the center of that, that heart has to stay there.” No release date or studio has yet been set for the sequel; the original film was released by now-defunct Disney label Touchstone Pictures.
What is ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’?
Released in 1997, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion centers around dim-witted friends for life Romy White (Sorvino) and Michele Weinberger (Kudrow), who learn about their impending ten-year high school reunion from former classmate Heather (Janeane Garofalo). Desperate to prove that they aren’t losers anymore, the two reinvent themselves as successful businesswomen who invented the Post-It Note to try and impress their former peers. Hilarity ensues. Directed by Simpsons veteran David Mirkin and also starring Alan Cumming, Camryn Manheim, and Justin Theroux, the movie had a modest box office take (making $29 million USD on a $20 million budget), but became a cult favorite with audiences over the years, thanks to video rentals and TV airings. It also spawned a 2005 made-for-TV prequel, Romy and Michele: In the Beginning, which Schiff wrote and directed; it starred Katherine Heigl and Alexandra Breckenridge as the titular duo.
The sequel to Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is in the works, but has not yet set a release date. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
via Collider