''The Last Starfighter'' is a 1984 American
space opera film directed by
Nick Castle
Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''Halloween'' (2018), and its sequels ''Halloween Kills'' ...
. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan (
Lance Guest
Lance R. Guest (born July 21, 1960) is an American film and television actor, best known for his starring role in 1984's ''The Last Starfighter''.
Biography
Guest developed a serious interest in acting as a freshman while attending Saratoga H ...
), a teenager recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also features
Robert Preston,
Dan O'Herlihy,
Catherine Mary Stewart
Catherine Mary Stewart (; born 22 April 1959) is a Canadian actress. Her film roles include '' The Apple'', ''The Last Starfighter'' and ''Weekend at Bernie's''. She was also the original Kayla Brady in ''Days of our Lives''.
Early life
Stewar ...
,
Norman Snow, and
Kay E. Kuter.
''The Last Starfighter'', along with
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's ''
Tron
''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action- adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer ...
'', has the distinction of being one of cinema's earliest films to use extensive "real-life"
computer-generated imagery (CGI) to depict its many starships, environments and battle scenes.
''The Last Starfighter'' was Robert Preston's final role in a theatrical film. The character of Centauri, a "lovable con-man", was written with him in mind and was a nod to his most famous role as Professor Harold Hill in ''
The Music Man
''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...
''.
[''Crossing the Frontier: Making "The Last Starfighter"'' (behind-the-scenes retrospective), Universal Studios Home Video, 1999.]
There was a subsequent
novelization of the film by
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts.
Career ''Star Wars''
Foster was the ghost ...
, as well as
a video game based on the production. In 2004, it was also adapted as an off-Broadway musical.
Plot
Alex Rogan is a teenager living in a trailer park with his mother and younger brother, Louis. After being rejected for a scholarship, Alex becomes angry at his go-nowhere existence. The only entertainment in the trailer park comes from an arcade game called "Starfighter", in which the player defends "the Frontier" against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada in a space battle. After Alex becomes the game's highest-scoring player, he is approached by the game's inventor, Centauri, who invites him to take a ride in his fancy car as a prize for winning the game. Centauri is actually an alien and his car a spacecraft; Alex is essentially abducted, and Beta, a doppelgänger
android, is used to cover Alex's absence.
Alex learns that the ''Starfighter'' arcade game represents a real-life conflict between the Rylan Star League and the Ko-Dan Empire; the latter is led by Xur, a native Rylan traitor and son of Ambassador Enduran, the Starfighter commander, to whom the Ko-Dan Emperor has promised control of Rylos. Starfighter is, in fact, an elaborate recruiting tool, designed as a test to find those "with the gift" (Centauri is actually criticized in one scene for placing the game on Earth, as humans were not considered capable of becoming Starfighters). Alex, expected to be the gunner for a Starfighter spacecraft called the Gunstar, is partnered with a reptilian pilot named Grig. He also learns that the Frontier is a forcefield protecting Rylos and its surrounding planets from invasion; Xur has given the Ko-Dan the means to breach it.
Xur reveals he has discovered an infiltrator in his ranks and broadcasts the spy's execution to the Star League. He then proclaims that once Rylos' moon is in eclipse, the Ko-Dan Armada will begin their invasion. Unnerved by everything he has seen, Alex asks to be taken home. On Earth, Centauri tells Alex to contact him should he change his mind. Meanwhile, a saboteur eliminates the Starfighter base defenses and thus enables the Ko-Dan to attack the base, causing heavy damage, killing the Starfighters and destroying the Gunstars. Only Grig and an advanced prototype Gunstar survive.
Alex discovers Beta and contacts Centauri to retrieve him. Centauri arrives just as Alex and Beta are attacked by an alien assassin, a Zando-Zan, in Xur's service; Centauri shoots off its right arm. He then explains that more Zando-Zan will be coming to Earth, and the only way for Alex to protect his family (and Earth) is to embrace his ability as a Starfighter. Before Alex can reply, the assassin attempts to shoot Alex. Centauri jumps in the way, taking the hit and killing the alien. Alex and Centauri fly back to the Starfighter base, where Centauri succumbs to his injuries. Alex finds Grig, and they prepare the Gunstar to battle the Ko-Dan Armada.
While Grig trains Alex, Beta finds it difficult to maintain his impersonation, particularly with Maggie Gordon, Alex's girlfriend. After discovering that a group of Zando-Zan have set up a communication center from their spaceship outside the trailer park, Beta reveals everything to Maggie. She does not believe him until the Zando-Zan discover the pair and Beta is shot, exposing damaged circuitry. They steal a friend's pickup truck and charge it at the Zando-Zan ship; Beta has Maggie jump out before sacrificing himself by crashing into the ship, destroying it.
Alex and Grig attack the Ko-Dan mothership, crippling its communications. Once Alex's weapons are depleted, he desperately activates a secret weapon on the Gunstar, the "Death Blossom", that destroys the remaining Ko-Dan fighters. With the fleet destroyed, Lord Kril orders Xur executed for his arrogance and failure to ensure victory, but Xur escapes the mothership just before Alex cripples its guidance controls, causing it to crash into Rylos' moon.
Alex is proclaimed the savior of Rylos and invited to help rebuild the Star League by Enduran, as it is still vulnerable: the Frontier has collapsed and Xur escaped. An unknown alien approaches, revealing himself as Centauri and explaining he was in a healing stasis. Alex agrees to stay, but he returns to Earth, landing his ship in the trailer park. Grig tells Alex's mother and the people of the trailer park of Alex's heroism; Alex asks Maggie to come with him, and she agrees. Louis is inspired to join Alex and begins playing the ''Starfighter'' game.
Cast
*
Lance Guest
Lance R. Guest (born July 21, 1960) is an American film and television actor, best known for his starring role in 1984's ''The Last Starfighter''.
Biography
Guest developed a serious interest in acting as a freshman while attending Saratoga H ...
as Alex Rogan / Beta Alex Rogan
*
Robert Preston as Centauri
*
Dan O'Herlihy as Grig
*
Catherine Mary Stewart
Catherine Mary Stewart (; born 22 April 1959) is a Canadian actress. Her film roles include '' The Apple'', ''The Last Starfighter'' and ''Weekend at Bernie's''. She was also the original Kayla Brady in ''Days of our Lives''.
Early life
Stewar ...
as Maggie Gordon
*
Norman Snow as Xur
*
Kay E. Kuter as Ambassador Enduran
*
Barbara Bosson
Barbara Bosson (born November 1, 1939) is a retired American actress. Her most notable role came in the television series ''Hill Street Blues'' (1981–1987), for which she was consecutively nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards.
Biograp ...
as Jane Rogan
*
Chris Hebert
Chris Hebert (born September 28, 1973) is an American former child actor and teacher who has appeared in a number of television series, commercials, and a few feature films.
Early life
Christopher Robin Hebert was born in Fullerton, Californi ...
as Louis Rogan
* Dan Mason as Lord Kril
*
Vernon Washington
Samuel Vernon Washington (August 10, 1923 – June 7, 1988) was an American character actor who starred in film and television.
Biography
Washington was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, the 8th child of Benjamin and Olive Evans of Di ...
as Otis
* John O'Leary as Rylan Bursar
* George McDaniel as Kodan 1st Officer
* Charlene Nelson as Rylan Technician
* John Maio as Friendly Alien
* Al Berry as Rylan Spy
* Scott Dunlop as Tentacle Alien
*
Peter Nelson as Jack Blake
*
Peggy Pope
Florence Margaret "Peggy" Pope (May 15, 1929 – May 27, 2020) was an American actress of stage, television and film.
Early life
Pope was born in Montclair, New Jersey. Her father was a notable doctor in the area. She graduated from Smith Col ...
as Elvira
*
Meg Wyllie
Margaret Gillespie Wyllie (February 15, 1917 – January 1, 2002) was an American actress who appeared primarily on television. Best known as Mrs. Kissel in '' The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (1963-1964).
Early years
Born in Honolulu, H ...
as Granny Gordon
* Ellen Blake as Clara Potter
*
Britt Leach
Britt Leach (born July 18, 1938 in Gadsden, Alabama) is an American character actor.
Biography and acting career
Leach was born on July 18, 1938 in Gadsden, Alabama. He graduated from The McCallie School, McCallie School, a boys college-prepara ...
as Mr. Potter
* Bunny Summers as Mrs. Boone
*
Owen Bush
Owen Bush (November 10, 1921 – June 12, 2001) was an American actor. Born in Savannah, Missouri, he went on to have a lengthy career in television and film. He portrayed the pivotal character "Benson January" in the season 4 ''Maverick'' ...
as Mr. Boone
*
Marc Alaimo
Marc Alaimo (born Michael Joseph Alaimo; May 5, 1942) is an American actor, known for his villainous roles. He is best known for his role as recurring villain Gul Dukat in the TV series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.
Career
Alaimo is a classica ...
as Hitchhiker
*
Wil Wheaton
Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film '' Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in '' Toy Soldiers'', ...
as Louis' Friend
*
Cameron Dye
Cameron Dye (born April 9, 1959) is an American actor and singer. He played "Fred" in the movie ''Valley Girl'' (1983), and also had roles in ''The Last Starfighter'' (1984), ''National Lampoon's Joy of Sex'' (1984), '' Body Rock'' (1984), ''Frat ...
as Andy
*
Geoffrey Blake as Gary
Production
''The Last Starfighter'' was shot in 38 days, mostly night shoots in
Canyon Country
Canyon Country is a neighborhood in the eastern part of the city of Santa Clarita, California, Santa Clarita, in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It lies along the Santa Clara River (California), Santa Clara River betwee ...
. It was one of the earliest films to make extensive use of
computer graphics
Computer graphics deals with generating images with the aid of computers. Today, computer graphics is a core technology in digital photography, film, video games, cell phone and computer displays, and many specialized applications. A great de ...
for its
special effects. In place of physical models,
3D rendered models were used to depict space ships and many other objects. The Gunstar and other spaceships were the design of artist
Ron Cobb
Ronald Ray Cobb (September 21, 1937 – September 21, 2020) was an American-Australian artist. In addition to his work as an editorial cartoonist, he contributed to major films including '' Dark Star'' (1974), '' Star Wars'' (1977), '' Alien'' (19 ...
, who also worked on ''
Alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'', ''
Star Wars'' and ''
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian (also known as Conan the Cimmerian) is a fictional sword and sorcery hero who originated in pulp magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, films (including '' Conan the Barbarian'' and '' Conan the Destroyer'') ...
''.
The computer graphics for the film were rendered by
Digital Productions (DP) on a
Cray X-MP supercomputer. The company created 27 minutes of effects for the film. This was considered an enormous amount of computer generated imagery at the time.
For the 300 scenes containing computer graphics in the film, each frame of the animation contained an average of 250,000
polygons
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
and had a resolution of 3000 × 5000 36-bit
pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest point in an all points addressable display device.
In most digital display devices, pixels are the ...
s. Digital Productions estimated that using computer animation required only half the time and between a third to half of the cost of traditional special effects. The result was a cost of $14 million for a film that made about $29 million at the box office.
DP used
Fortran, CFT77 for programming:
Not all special effects in the film were done with computer animation. The depiction of the Beta unit before it had taken Alex's form was a
practical effect
A practical effect is a special effect produced physically, without computer-generated imagery or other post-production techniques. In some contexts, "special effect" is used as a synonym of "practical effect", in contrast to "visual effects" ...
, created by makeup artist
Lance Anderson. The Starcar, created by
Gene Winfield
Gene Winfield (born June 16, 1927) is an American automotive customizer and fabricator. In the mid-1960s, his designs caught the attention of the film community, resulting in a large body of his work appearing on screen, including in the iconic 1 ...
and driven by Centauri, was a working vehicle based on Winfield's Spinner designs from ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
''.
Because the test audiences responded positively to the Beta Alex character, director Nick Castle added more scenes of Beta Alex interacting with the trailer park community. Because Lance Guest had cut his hair short after initial filming had been completed and he contracted an illness during the re-shoots, his portrayal of Beta Alex in the added scenes has him wearing a wig and heavy makeup.
Wil Wheaton
Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film '' Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in '' Toy Soldiers'', ...
had a few lines of dialogue that were ultimately cut from the film, but he still is visible in the background of several scenes.
Music
Composer
Craig Safan
Craig Safan (born December 17, 1948 in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer for film and television, whose biggest scores include ''The Last Starfighter'', '' Mr. Wrong'', '' Stand and Deliver'', '' Fade to Black'', ''Major Payne'', ' ...
wanted to go "bigger than ''Star Wars''" and therefore utilized a "
Mahler
Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
-sized" orchestra, resulting in an unusual breadth of instruments, including "quadruple woodwinds" and "eight trumpets,
rombones and horns!"
Reception
Critical reception
At the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, ''The Last Starfighter'' received an approval rating of 76%, based on 86 reviews, with an
average rating
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...
of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "While ''The Last Starfighter'' is clearly derivative of other sci-fi franchises, its boundary-pushing visual effects and lovably plucky tone make for an appealing adventure".
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
gave the film a score of 67 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Over time it has developed a
cult following.
Roger Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half out of four stars. While the actors were good, particularly Preston and O'Herlihy, Ebert wrote ''The Last Starfighter'' was "not a terrifically original movie" but it was nonetheless "well-made".
Colin Greenland
Colin Greenland (born 17 May 1954 in Dover, Kent, England) is a British science fiction writer, whose first story won the second prize in a 1982 Faber & Faber competition. His best-known novel is ''Take Back Plenty'' (1990), winner of both majo ...
reviewed ''The Last Starfighter'' for ''
Imagine
Imagine may refer to:
* Imagination
Music Albums
* ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008
* ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002
* ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012
* ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971
** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
'' magazine, and stated that "apart from a mildly amusing little sub-plot with the android replica left on Earth to conceal his absence, Alex's adventure is strictly the movie of the video game: simple as can be, and pitched at a pre-teen audience who can believe Alex and Grig blasting a hundred alien ships and escaping without a scratch."
''
Halliwell's Film Guide
Robert James Leslie Halliwell (23 February 1929 – 21 January 1989) was a British film critic, encyclopaedist and television rights buyer for ITV, the British commercial network, and Channel 4. He is best known for his reference guides, '' Fil ...
'' described the film as "a surprisingly pleasant variation on the ''
Star Wars'' boom, with sharp and witty performances from two reliable
character actors and some elegant gadgetry to offset the teenage mooning".
In 2017, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' described it as having "a simple yet ingenious plot" and continued "the action is suitably fast and furious, but what makes the movie especially enjoyable are the quirky character touches given to Guest and his fellow players." ''Variety'' also noted that film critic
Gene Siskel described ''The Last Starfighter'' as the best of all ''Star Wars'' imitators.
Alan Jones awarded it three stars out of five for ''
Radio Times'', writing that it was a "glossy, space-age fairy tale" and "highly derivative — ''
Star Trek''-like aliens have ''Star Wars''-inspired dog-fights against a computer-graphic backdrop — but the sensitive love story between Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart cuts through the cuteness and gives the intergalactic adventures a much-needed boost."
Adaptations
''The Last Starfighter''s popularity has resulted in several non-film adaptations of the storyline and uses of the name.
Musical
A musical adaptation was first produced at the Storm Theatre Off-Off Broadway in New York City in October 2004 with music and lyrics by Skip Kennon and book by Fred Landau. In November 2005, the original cast recording was released on the Kritzerland label.
Books
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts.
Career ''Star Wars''
Foster was the ghost ...
wrote a
novelization of the film shortly after it was released ().
Comics
In the same year as the release of the film, Marvel Comics published a comic book adaptation of the film by writer
Bill Mantlo
William Timothy Mantlo (born November 9, 1951) is an American comic book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics. He is best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: ''Micronauts'' and ''Ro ...
and artists
Bret Blevins and
Tony Salmons
Thomas Anthony "Tony" Salmons (born January 1, 1957) is an American alternative comic book artist, film storyboard artist and character designer.
Biography
Born in Rolla, Missouri, Salmons grew up in Casa Grande, Arizona, with stops in New York ...
in ''
Marvel Super Special
''Marvel Comics Super Special'' was a 41-issue series of one-shot comic-magazines published by Marvel Comics from 1977 to 1986. They were cover-priced $1.50 to $2.50, while regular color comics were priced 30 cents to 60 cents, Beginning with issue ...
'' #31. The adaptation was also available as a three issue
limited series Limited series may refer to:
*Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series
*Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered
*Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
.
Games
In 1984,
FASA
Fasa ( fa, فسا, Fasā, also Romanized as Fassa) is a city and capital of Fasa County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 110,825, in 33,379 families. Fasa is the fourth most populous city of the province. The city date ...
, a sci-fi tabletop game maker, created a gaming system ''
The Last Starfighter: Tunnel Chase'' for ''The Last Starfighter''.
Video games
Arcade
A real ''The Last Starfighter'' arcade game by
Atari, Inc.
Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Atari was a key player in the formation of the video arcade and video game industry.
Based primarily around the Sunny ...
is promised in the end credits, but was never released. If released, the game would have been Atari's first 3D polygonal arcade game to use a
Motorola 68000 as the CPU. Gameplay would have been taken from game scenes and space battle scenes in the film and would have included the same controller that was used on the
first Star Wars arcade game. The game was abandoned once Atari representatives saw the film in post-production and decided it was not going to be a financial success.
Home computer and console
Home versions of the game for the
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocesso ...
and
Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to the Atari 2600 at the time of the 520 ...
consoles and
Atari 8-bit home computers were also developed, but never commercially released under the ''Last Starfighter'' name. The home computer version was eventually renamed and released (with some minor changes) as ''
Star Raiders II''. A prototype exists for the Atari 2600 ''Last Starfighter'' game, which was in actuality a game already in development by Atari under the name ''Universe''. This game was eventually released as ''
Solaris''.
In 1990, an
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
game titled ''The Last Starfighter'' was released, but it was actually a conversion of ''
Uridium'' for
Commodore 64, with modified sprites, title screen and soundtrack.
A
freeware
Freeware is software, most often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for t ...
playable version of the game, based on what is seen in the film, was released for
PC in 2007. This is a faithful reproduction of the arcade game from the film and features full sound effects and music from the game. The creators of this game, Rogue Synapse, have also built a working arcade cabinet of the game.
Potential sequel
In February 2008, production company GPA Entertainment added "''Starfighter'' – The sequel to the classic motion picture ''Last Starfighter'' to its list of projects and two months later the project was reported to be "
stuck in the pre-production phase". It was still there . Hollywood directors, including
Seth Rogen
Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series '' Freaks and Geeks'', and then got a part o ...
and
Steven Spielberg, as well as screenwriter
Gary Whitta
Gary Leslie Whitta (born 21 July 1972) is an English screenwriter, author, game designer, and video game journalist. He was editor-in-chief of both the UK and US editions of ''PC Gamer'' magazine and contributor to gaming magazine ''ACE''.
Whit ...
, have expressed interest in creating a sequel or remake, but Jonathan R. Betuel has allegedly indicated that he does not want another film made.
The rights to the film have not been clearly defined due to conflicting information. Multiple sources say Universal Pictures still owns the theatrical and home media distribution rights while
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
, which absorbed
Lorimar-Telepictures (Lorimar's successor) in 1992, has the international distribution rights. Another source states that Universal has the option to remake the film while Betuel has sequel rights. Further complicating the situation is a claim that both Universal and Warner Bros. each have remake and sequel rights.
In July 2015, it was reported that Betuel will write a TV reboot of the film.
On April 4, 2018, Whitta posted concept art for ''The Last Starfighter'' sequel on his Twitter account. In the same tweet he also indicated that Betuel will be collaborating with him on the project. In a follow-up interview with
Gizmodo, Whitta referred to the project as "a combination of reboot and sequel that we both think honors the legacy of the original film while passing the torch to a new generation."
On October 20, 2020, Betuel stated that, with Whitta, a script for a sequel is being written and the rights to the film were recaptured.
On March 25, 2021, Whitta posted a sequel concept reel on YouTube called ''The Last Starfighters'' with concept art by Matt Allsopp and music by
Chris Tilton and
Craig Safan
Craig Safan (born December 17, 1948 in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer for film and television, whose biggest scores include ''The Last Starfighter'', '' Mr. Wrong'', '' Stand and Deliver'', '' Fade to Black'', ''Major Payne'', ' ...
and featuring an audio clip from the original movie by
Robert Preston.
See also
* ''
Armada'' - A novel by
Ernest Cline
Ernest Christy Cline (born March 29, 1972) is an American science fiction novelist, slam poet, and screenwriter. He wrote the novels '' Ready Player One'', '' Armada'', and '' Ready Player Two'' and co-wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation ...
with a similar premise
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Animation Timeline from Brown UniversityThe Last Starfighter video gameArcade game specifications by Atari
Podcast about ''The Last Starfighter'' by the Retroist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Starfighter, The
1984 films
1980s coming-of-age films
1980s science fiction action films
American coming-of-age films
American science fiction action films
American science fiction war films
American space adventure films
American space opera films
Films about computing
Films about video games
Films adapted into comics
Films directed by Nick Castle
Films scored by Craig Safan
Films set on fictional planets
Films set on spacecraft
Films set in California
Films shot in California
Flying cars in fiction
Universal Pictures films
1980s English-language films
1980s American films