Get the skate sharpener out. I have some good news. The Mighty Ducks franchise, dormant since 1996, may not have gotten permanently suspended by Disney. The film’s producer has reportedly had some conversations with the Mouse House over the years, and while another installment isn’t a guarantee, the puck is still very much in play!
The exciting news came out via Time’s Monster Oral History. In it, the subject of a sequel came up, and not only did Joshua Jackson say he’d lace up the skates again, producer Jordan Kerner admitted he’s taken more than a few meetings over the years about rekindling the franchise. He hasn’t gotten an unquestioned green light yet, but he sure as hell hasn’t gotten a red light…
There have been a number of times that we have discussed with the studio the idea of either bringing it back and bringing it back possibly with one or two of the guys who are now in their thirties as the coaches, and having a few more of them be their friends in their lives and having the kids come back. And I’ve been pitched a story two or three times. It hasn’t been the right story yet, but the idea of doing that is something Steve and I have talked about and actually Disney and I have talked about. So I’m not going to fuel the rumor mill that it’s going to happen, but I’m saying to you that the studio said to us, "We’d be interested if you come to us with the right story."
Look, I love every last one of the Mighty Ducks as much as the next guy. I know all of them by heart. Hell, I ranked them by hockey ability like a week ago. In a perfect world, I’d love to see every one of their smiling faces get in Flying V formation again, even Karp, but if the screenwriters get obsessed with that idea, it’s highly unlikely we’ll get a good movie. So, what the powers that be need to do is pick a few of them and manufacture a real, believable story around them. A few more can cameo, and it’ll be great.
Here’s my suggestion: Devastated after his wife passes away, Charlie Conway (Jackson) moves in with bachelors Greg Goldberg, Fulton Reed and Russ Tyler, who all share a house. Unhappy with his job as a financial analyst, Conway impulsively quits. Without a job, he passes the time playing in an adult rec hockey league alongside his roommates. After one of their games, he sticks around to watch some little kids practice. When their coach fails to show up, he joins them on the ice and decides to be their mentor.
Now, who's ready to make some money? I know you are, Disney.
