Molly Ringwald Opposes Remake of The Breakfast Club, Citing Cultural and Temporal Context
During a panel discussion titled Don’t You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club 40th Anniversary Reunion at the C2E2 convention in Chicago, actress Molly Ringwald expressed firm opposition to the idea of remaking the 1985 classic film The Breakfast Club.
Ringwald, now 57, who portrayed the character Claire Standish in the original film, stated that the story is deeply rooted in the cultural context of its era. “I personally don’t believe in remaking that movie, because I think this movie is very much of its time,” she explained. “While it still resonates with audiences today, it doesn’t reflect the diversity or societal conversations we are engaging with now. The cast was almost entirely white, and themes such as gender identity were not addressed at all.”
She emphasized that while the film’s emotional core continues to appeal to viewers, contemporary cinema should focus on creating new narratives that are inspired by earlier works but updated to reflect present-day realities. “I would like to see films that draw from The Breakfast Club but evolve to represent the world we live in now,” she added.
Other cast members—Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, and Emilio Estevez—also participated in the discussion, commemorating four decades since the film’s release under the direction of John Hughes.
Estevez, aged 62, commented on how the current film industry prioritizes high-concept projects over character-driven stories. Reflecting on the nature of The Breakfast Club, he remarked, “It was a film about five teenagers spending a day in detention—something that would be a difficult sell in today’s market, which favors action, spectacle, and visual effects.”
He also recalled the modest production budget of the original film. “We made this movie for $1 million, which was a relatively small investment, even then. Today, such a character-focused project would likely not be approved for production by major studios,” he noted.
Ringwald has previously acknowledged that certain scenes and character dynamics in the film have not aged well. In particular, she referenced the troubling behavior of Judd Nelson’s character, John Bender, who harasses her character throughout the film. “There is a lot I truly value about the movie, but certain elements—especially those interactions—are problematic by today’s standards,” she told The Times of London in 2024.
She also addressed this issue in a 2018 essay, writing that Bender never apologizes for his actions, yet is still rewarded romantically by the film’s end—a narrative she now views with greater scrutiny.
Ringwald concluded by expressing appreciation that today’s audiences and filmmakers are more aware of social issues, saying, “I’m glad we’re able to look back and recognize that things have changed.”
