A Walk to Remember, the 2002 teen romance movie starring Shane West and Mandy Moore, is getting a modern makeover. Monarch Media is developing the reboot with a team very familiar with the story.
“A Walk to Remember has endured as a beloved coming-of-age drama, captivating audiences with its heartfelt story of young love, personal growth and the power of faith for decades,” said Steve Barnett, who also contributed to the 2002 film. “We could not be more excited to bring a new version of Nicholas Sparks’ timeless story to audiences and are particularly thrilled to work alongside the original film’s producers, Denise [Di Novi] and Hunt [Lowry].”
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The reboot has just been announced, but here’s what we know about it so far.
What is the release date for the A Walk to Remember reboot?
There is no release date tied to the reboot yet. Seeing as a director and cast also have not been announced, the project is likely in early stages of development and will take time to be made.
The website Backstageestimates a movie’s production time at one to two and a half years; though this depends on a number of factors and delays are not uncommon. But if it holds true for the new A Walk to Remember, fans might see it as early as mid-2026.
What is the A Walk to Remember reboot about?
We don’t know anything about the premise of the reboot, and producers could take it in interesting directions seeing as the 2002 A Walk to Remember is quite different from the Nicholas Sparks book.
In the movie, the setting is early 2000s North Carolina. It follows teen rebel Landon Carter: a popular kid who hides his feelings behind a stoic facade. After accidentally injuring another student, Landon is assigned extracurricular work by his school’s principal, including tutoring and being involved in the school play. Through these activities he comes to know Jamie Sullivan, the local minister’s daughter. Jamie is not popular at all but doesn’t seem to care what other people think about her.
While the book follows the same overall storyline, it’s set in the late 1950s which marks a big difference from the film. In it, Landon’s father is a congressman and pressures him to run for class president. Since his role as president necessitates asking a girl to the school dance, this is what brings him into contact with Jamie – who is rather like movie Jamie, a religious girl who loves to help people.
The movie reboot could further modernize the story by bringing it into the 2020s, or it could harken back to the story’s roots in the 1950s. Likewise, Landon could be his well-known punk self from the movie who listens to loud rock music, or he could be the wealthy son of a congressman as he is in the book. Not knowing might make it more exciting for fans in the leadup to the premiere.
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Will Mandy Moore be in the reboot of A Walk to Remember?
Mandy Moore hasn’t announced any involvement in the reboot, nor has her former co-star Shane West. Though if they are involved, it will probably be in minor ways. A Walk to Remember is a teenage love story and Moore and West are now in their 40s.
In 2022, Moore told People she “would love” to see a reboot. “It’s been long enough that, yeah, I feel like we’ve earned our place in cinematic history for a reboot at this point.”
Related: Nicholas Sparks on His New Novel The Return, What Makes a Good Story and the Books He’s Reading Right Now
Who is in the cast for the reboot of A Walk to Remember?
No cast members have been announced yet for the A Walk to Remember reboot.
When asked who she thought could play the new version of Jamie Sullivan, Mandy Moore said to People, “I don’t know, Olivia Rodrigo or something like that. Someone could redo this film.”
As Moore pointed out, the person who plays Jamie will have to have the musical chops for the role, and Rodrigo has that in spades. Who actually ends up as Jamie (and Landon) will be up to the producers’ discretion, of course.
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