After initially tapping the original writer of the ’80s classic to return to the fold, The Goonies 2 has found a different writer to pen the script. Development on a follow-up to the adventure comedy has languished ever since the original hit theaters in 1985, with the cast and crew all offering conflicting statements about its progress, while the acting retirements of Ke Huy Quan and Jeff Cohen, as well as the death of original director Richard Donner, left its future uncertain. The Goonies 2 was finally confirmed in mid-January 2025, with Chris Columbus returning to write the script.

Now, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline has brought word that Potsy Ponciroli has signed on to pen the script for The Goonies 2. The news comes just over a month after it was announced that Chris Columbus, the writer of the original Richard Donner-helmed film, would be returning to pen the script for the long-awaited sequel. Despite the change in writer, however, Columbus is still onboard as a producer alongside Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario for Amblin Entertainment, with Lauren Shuler Donner executive producing.

What This Means For The Goonies 2

This Is Still The Closest The Sequel Has Come To Being Real

The announcement of Ponciroli being tapped to pen The Goonies 2 script is sure to come as a surprise given just how quick of a turnaround it was from Columbus being reported to return. That being said, the previous report indicated Columbus was hired to both write a treatment and script for the sequel. While the new report doesn’t indicate one way or another, it’s still possible that Ponciroli will actually be working off the original scribe’s story treatment.

Even if he isn’t, though, Columbus’ attachment as a producer might point towards his being behind the decision to bring Ponciroli on to pen The Goonies 2 in his stead. Though not having entirely stopped directing, the past few years have seen Columbus instead shift to championing other filmmakers from a producer’s standpoint, including recently reuniting with Robert Eggers for his record-setting Nosferatu after previously executive producing The Lighthouse. With Ponciroli gradually making a name for himself with the Tim Blake Nelson-starring Old Henry and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Greedy People, Columbus may want to allow him the chance to shine.

Another interesting note from the Goonies 2 development change is that no director has been attached for the sequel just yet. Given the script hasn’t been completed yet, that ultimately makes sense, as a filmmaker likely wouldn’t want to attach themselves until they know for sure what they’re getting into. That being said, with Ponciroli having written and directed Old Henry himself, Columbus and Spielberg may be open to considering him for the director’s chair on Goonies 2 should his script wow them accordingly.

Our Take On The Goonies 2’s Writer Change

Columbus’ Involvement Is Still A Good Sign

While it is kind of a disappointment that Columbus won’t be writing the sequel himself, particularly as that means it will have neither of its original creatives at the helm after Donner’s death in 2021, I’m still generally hopeful that The Goonies 2 can make the long wait worth it. I can’t imagine that Columbus would hand the reins off to another writer unless he trusted in their vision, and while no cast returns have been confirmed, the eager comments from the original Goonies cast in recent years tell me they also wouldn’t return if the script didn’t live up to the original.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline