Is nostalgia at risk? Josh Brolin is making headlines for his refreshingly honest take on the upcoming Goonies sequel. The Oscar-nominated actor, now 57, got candid about his “trepidation” toward the reboot of the beloved 1985 classic—and what it would take for him to get on board.
Josh Brolin Goonies Memories: “Greatest Experience of My Life”
Brolin looks back at his days as Brand Walsh with an almost childlike fondness. Call it a golden-age glow: “The experience was so great… The movie is received so well, generation after generation,” he told Entertainment Weekly. For Brolin, the original Goonies was lightning in a bottle—a formative moment in a career that would launch him into everything from No Country for Old Men to the Marvel universe.
He’s the first to admit the role changed his life, telling People it was “probably the greatest experience of my life” and something that “never should have happened” given his string of failed auditions leading up to it.
“Trepidation” About the Reboot
So, what’s giving Brolin pause? He doesn’t mince words: “The trepidation that I have is that you release something else that taints that. I don’t want to taint what my memory of it is,” he said, reflecting the anxiety shared by many fans as The Goonies 2 moves into development at Warner Bros, with Steven Spielberg tapped to produce.
Brolin even joked about the perils of aging in a sequel: “It’s like, ‘Oh, we came out with another,’ and then the Goonies grew up, and then they came out with their walkers and then they fell off a cliff because they couldn’t see very well.” It’s this kind of dry wit—and earnest nostalgia—that makes his perspective so relatable.
What Would Get Josh Brolin On Board?
Despite his nerves, Brolin isn’t totally ruling out a return. The key ingredient for him is Spielberg’s blessing. “If Spielberg approves it, you know it’s going to be good,” he conceded. He’s fully aware that the original worked because of its heart, its cast, and its creative team. Without that same magic, Brolin worries the sequel could miss the mark.
Still, he acknowledges there’s potential for greatness if the right people—and spirit—are involved: “Maybe it could be great. If it’s great, you’ll know.”
Bottom line: Brolin’s stand on the Goonies reboot is classic “protect the legacy” energy, but with an open door if Spielberg and the original creative spark return. For now, he’s walking the tightrope between nostalgia and hope—a line every Goonies fan knows by heart.
