Everything we know about St Elmo’s Fire sequel

A St. Elmo’s Fire sequel is in the works. Joel Schumacher’s 1985 coming-of-age classic introduced audiences across the world to Hollywood’s new bright young things in a tale of romance, young adulthood and growing pains set in the grey area between education and real life.

In addition to being perhaps the most ’80s film ever, it also served as the break-out vehicle for several of its young stars like Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy. It’s also the film that gave us one of cinema’s most infamous labels when journalist David Blum referred to its collection of emerging actors as the ‘Brat Pack’ in a New York magazine article.

Loved by audiences but derided by the actors it was referring to, Blum’s phrase came to haunt the stars of youth-oriented films of the 80s, many of which were directed by the king of the teen movie John Hughes and featured the likes of Molly Ringwald, Nelson, Estevez and St. Elmo’s Fire co-star Andrew McCarthy.

Read more: ‘Brats’ reassembles the Brat Pack, mostly to vent about their ‘unjust’ nickname (CNN)

Such was the impact that McCarthy recently decided to tackle it head-on in Brat, his 2024 documentary that reflected on the career-altering ripple effects of Blum’s article. The project brought McCarthy back alongside many of his St. Elmo’s Fire colleagues — and they must have enjoyed the catch-up because a sequel is now reportedly in the works.

Here’s what we know about it so far.

When is the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel being released?

There’s no release date for the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel. Before that arrives, we’ll need an official announcement that the project is in production and that has also yet to emerge.

As it stands, the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel is all rumour and teases, with many outlets reminding readers that a script is yet to be written. With all this in mind, it could be some time before we get a release date for the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel.

What is the plot of the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel?

As mentioned above, a script for the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel has yet to be written but according to early reports, the plan is to craft a legacy sequel that’ll catch up with the original film’s key players later in life.

It’s also likely that the follow-up will introduce us to a new batch of younger stars — potentially the kids of Moore, Estevez, McCarthy and Nelson’s characters — going through similar issues that formed the focus of the first movie. These ranged from alcoholism and peer pressure to infidelity and the difficulties of finding independence as a young adult.

Read more: Who is the most successful member of the Hollywood Brat Pack? (Yahoo Entertainment)

Speaking in October 2024, original St. Elmo’s Fire star Lowe revealed that early discussions had already begun. “We’re very much in contact now because we are actively trying to do [the] St. Elmo’s Fire sequel,” he told Kelly Ripa’s Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast.

“It’s going a little more slowly than I would have liked,” he added. “But that’s a good thing because we’re trying to find the right writer and the right story. But all of the actors, everybody is on board. Everybody is excited.”

In a separate chat with Entertainment Tonight three months earlier, he said: “We’ve met with the studio and I have been talking about doing it for about four months,” adding that McCarthy’s documentary had “only added to the excitement around it.”

That said, he was keen to remind fans that the sequel is still a long way off: “It’s very, very, very, very, very early stages... So we will see.”

In addition to directing, Schumacher, who passed away in 2020, co-wrote the film with Carl Kurlander. It’s possible that Kurlander could return to write the sequel — or at least co-write it with another screenwriter, especially if it plans to deal with younger protagonists with more timely issues to navigate.

This isn't the first time a legacy project related to this particular property has been discussed. In the late noughties, a sequel was in the early stages of development with That 70s Show star Topher Grace attached which ultimately fizzled out.

TV series talk resurfaced once again in 2019 but now all involved appear to be focused on a sequel instead.

Who could star in a St. Elmo’s Fire sequel?

The original St. Elmo’s Fire featured Lowe as struggling saxophone player and ladies’ man Billy, Estevez as law student and part-time waiter Kirby, McCarthy as his journalist roommate Kevin and Moore as the party-loving Julianna.

Nelson also starred as the career-hungry Alec with Sheedy playing a young professional who finds herself approaching a marriage that she isn’t sure she actually wants. The plan would be for each of these stars to return although at this early stage, no one has officially signed on. It’s also worth noting that the echoes of the ‘Brat Pack’ could hinder the chances of this happening.

Read more: Emilio Estevez says Brat Pack members were ‘kryptonite’ to each other’s careers (The Independent)

While Moore, Lowe, Sheedy and Estevez all returned for McCarthy’s documentary, many others linked to the moniker didn’t, including St. Elmo’s Fire star Nelson. This legacy cast would presumably be padded out with a group of new hot young stars — but like their elder counterparts, no names have been confirmed just yet.

The St. Elmo’s Fire sequel is coming soon.