Credit: 20th Century StudiosRobin Williams was one of the world’s most beloved talents, and his legacy still lives on today, thanks to the continued love and support fans all around the world show for his many classic movies. In an interesting update, the director of Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Chris Columbus (Home Alone), has spoken about about Mrs. Doubtfire 2 — the sequel to the classic 1990s movie.
Back in 2014, the world lost one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Robin Williams began his career in stand-up comedy before starring as Mork in Mork & Mindy on ABC in the late 70s and early 80s. His transition to become a leading man came with 1980’s Popeye, where he starred as the titular character alongside Shelley Duvall’s Olive Oyl.
Williams became known for both his dramatic and comedic performances, bringing a gravitas to every role he played. Throughout his career, Williams brought many now-iconic characters to life. From John Keating in Dead Poets Society (1989) to Peter Pan in Hook (1991) to Theodore Roosevelt in the Night at the Museum franchise, Williams’ roles have been varied and acclaimed.
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Perhaps one of his most everlasting roles was the Genie in both Aladdin (1992) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996) for The Walt Disney Company, as well as his Oscar-winning role as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting (1997). He took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
One character that has stayed secure in the pop culture canon and is, arguably, Williams’ most memorable live-action role is Mrs. Doubtfire. Set in San Francisco, Williams starred as Daniel Hillard, the estranged father of Lydia Hillard (Lisa Jakub), Christopher “Chris” Hillard (Matthew Lawrence), and Natalie “Nattie” Hillard (Mara Wilson), as he became his ex-wife’s (Miranda Hillard, played by Sally Field) new housekeeper under the guise of Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire. Pierce Brosnan also starred as Miranda’s new love interest, Stuart “Stu” Dunmeyer.
The comedy has become a classic and has spawned a stage musical that has run on both Broadway and in London’s West End. As for the sequel, Chris Columbus stated that the sequel would never happen. Due to the actor’s tragic death in 2014, Mrs. Doubtfire 2 has been shelved completely.
But Columbus has recently revealed some brand-new information about the development of the sequel starring Robin Williams.
“It’s an interesting thing. Back then, there was an attitude that sequels were looked down upon by the artists. So Robin was against doing a sequel immediately after,” Chris Columbus told the Business Insider (via Variety). “He and I didn’t talk about a sequel until the year he passed away.”
Eight years ago, Columbus revealed that the idea for the sequel had only come to be after someone presented a very interesting idea and that the director’s conversation with Williams about Mrs. Doubtfire 2 in 2014 was the last time he spoke to the actor.
“I went to his house, and we sat down and talked about it, and the script was really strong. Robin’s only comment was, ‘Boss, do I have to be in the suit as much this time?’ It was physically demanding. For Robin, I think it was like running a marathon every day he was in the Doubtfire costume. He was older, obviously. So we talked about it, and I think he was hoping in the rewrite, we would cut back on the Doubtfire character. But then Robin passed away, so there will never be a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire.”
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Despite its success and continued legacy as one of Robin Williams’ standout performances, the idea of a sequel to the 1993 movie wasn’t widely well-received. Many in the LGBTQ+ community expressed concerns over the movie setting back transgender awareness. However, despite this, Lawrence, Jakub, and Brosnan all had an interest in boarding the sequel.
Mrs. Doubtfire opened in 1993 to a huge box office, netting $441.3 million on a $25 million budget. It became the second highest-grossing movie of 1993, following Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993).
Would you have liked to see a Mrs. Doubtfire sequel? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!