'The Sandlot' Sequel Series Coming To Disney+ [Updated]
Update: It's now being reported that the Sandlot series sequel will be coming to Disney+. Our original story follows.The Sandlot is one of the quintessential sports movies of the 1990s. Hell, it's one of the most beloved sports movies of all-time, even for people who aren't necessarily in love with baseball. We already know Hollywood will try to tap into the nostalgia for the 1993 film with a prequel that takes place before the events of the 1962-set sports comedy, but now they'll try to bring the magic of The Sandlot back in a way that might sound a little more appealing to fans.The Sandlot director David Mickey Evans recently revealed on a podcast appearance that he has sold a pitch for a television series sequel to the original movie that will bring all the original cast members back.
David Mickey Evans recently appeared on Cooperstown Kurt's baseball podcast The Rain Delay, and at the end of the episode (around the 78:23 mark), the director announced The Sandlot TV series sequel. Apparently the project already has a home on a streaming service, though he wasn't inclined to say which one.
So that means Mike Vitar (Benjamin "Benny" Franklin Rodriguez), Patrick Renna (Hamilton "Ham" Porter), Chauncey Leopardi (Michael "Squints" Palledorous), Victor DiMattia (Timmy Timmons), Marty York (Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan), Shane Obedzinski (Tommy "Repeat" Timmons), Grant Gelt (Bertram Grover Weeks), and Brandon Quintin Adams (Kenny DeNunez) are all coming back for another inning. Interestingly enough, we already know what most of them are up to as adults thanks to the ending of The Sandlot:
As for what the series is about, all Evans would say was that it takes place in 1984, and it will bring back the original kids from The Sandlot. They're all now around 33 years old, and each of them has kids of their own. But that's it. Maybe their kids pick up the mantle and start a game of their own on the dusty old diamond? If that's the case, what kind of pickle will they get themselves into? We don't know!
Even so, it's pretty impressive that the original cast is all coming back, especially since most of them aren't acting anymore, and a couple of them have had some legal trouble over the years. So a paycheck for a TV series probably sounds awesome to anyone. But the fact that they all want to come back to acting is kind of a surprise. Usually there's one or two out of a group like this that just isn't interested in that life anymore.
The question is whether the story for this series will be good enough to live up to the legacy of The Sandlot. It's a childhood classic for kids of the 90s, the kind of movie those grown-up kids are showing to their own little ones right now. Will a sequel TV series be able to capture the spirit of that original movie? If The Karate Kid can do it with Cobra Kai, anything is possible.
We don't know where The Sandlot series is headed, but since the movie was a 20th Century Fox production, there's a chance we could see it end up over at Disney+ once the merger between the two companies is finalized. Then again, this could be a Fox project that ends up with an uncertain future because of the impending merger. But hopefully we'll hear more about this soon.