‘The Sandlot’ prequel in development with 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox announced a prequel to 1993’s cult classic is in early development. Happy 25th anniversary The Sandlot?
I’ll bet you never saw that one coming? Neither did I. But if there was a silver lining, perhaps it may have to do with the involvement of The Sandlot’s original writer and director, David Mickey Evans. Deadline confirms Evans is attached to co-write a prequel that will involve the legend of the beast. Which also means it’s likely we’ll get to know more about the Beast a/k/a Hercules the English Mastiff and his owner Mr. Mertle, played by James Earl Jones; or so I hope.
The Sandlot is charming coming-of-age story that follows new kid on the block Scottie Smalls (Tom Guiry) who, after moving to the neighborhood, befriends a group of boys who play baseball at the sandlot. One of the intriguing storylines follows the boys adventures with the enormous and ‘killer’ dog beyond the wall of the sandlot. Of course as we find out, the dog is not quite who the boys thought he was, thanks in part to his owner Mr. Mertle, and eventually the beast becomes the boy’s team mascot. Evans’ ‘93 film is one of the recent live-action pre-teen comedies to cement itself as a true cult favorite across Generation X and Millennial generations. If you can think of another one, let me know.
I can’t say a prequel does a whole lot for me, especially given David Mickey Evans’ involvement with The Sandlot 2 - which was fine but didn’t quite capture the heart of the first film. Since 1993’s release, fans were treated to two straight-to-video sequels, with the most recent starring Luke Perry. Which pretty much tells you all you need to know about where the series currently stands.
You digging the idea of a prequel?
