It would seem we are in the middle of a revival age in Hollywood, with tons of classic TV shows and films, like The Munsters and Top Gun, making comebacks. This new age of old has brought about a second wind for the careers of actors like Brendan Fraser, in a move fondly referred to as the Brenaissance. Fans are reveling in The Mummy star’s comeback, and as it turns out, there may even be a revival of one of Fraser’s best roles in the talks, and I’ve got my fingers tightly crossed for this one.
Apparently there have been talks about a sequel to Encino Man, one of Brendan Fraser’s first big movies from back in the early ‘90s. The film sees Fraser as a caveman preserved in ice who gets thawed out by two outcast California teens, played by Pauly Shore and Sean Astin, who then walk him through living in the modern world in the hopes that he makes them more popular.
In an interview with Inverse for a feature on how Encino Man was made, star Pauly Shore touches on the possibility of a sequel to the Disney teen film. The comedic actor has spoken in the past about the desire to be involved in a sequel, and it seems like he would still be on board if all the pieces fell into place. Here is what he said, exactly:
I know Disney+ is talking about possibly doing the sequel. If they want me to do it and the script was right and Brendan and Sean were on board and it made sense, I would do it for the fans! It’s what George has been working on. So ask him about it.
The publication did, in fact, ask director George Zaloom about it. Though Disney+ may have bandied about this idea, per Shore, the director himself in unsure about whether a sequel will happen. You can read for yourself what the director said about an Encino Man sequel, though he does give a little hope in saying “we may be pleasantly surprised”:
If you ask me ‘Is there going to be another Encino Man?’ — I don’t know! I’m not going to say yes. I’m not going to say no. We may be pleasantly surprised.
It sounds like a lot of different working parts would have to match up pretty perfectly to see Pauly Shore, Sean Astin, and Brendan Fraser reunited for another Encino Man film, but given the interest right now it could be an interesting play. In fact, those who were teens when Encino Man was released would probably love to show their kids a new version of the film while also seeing the characters they love back in their original roles.
You can check out Encino Man on streaming, either for a quick rewatch or to show someone from the younger generation the masterpiece, if you’ve got a Disney Plus subscription. Fans of the Brenaissance will be able to see Brendan Fraser in peak comeback mode when the upcoming 2022 new release film Batgirl hits HBO Max later this year.