Legendary ‘80s Actress Explains Why Her Classic Movies ‘Can’t Be’ Remade Today

Molly Ringwald became the face of director John Hughes’ coming-of-age films in the 1980s. Four decades later, she revealed why fans will likely never see another actress take on the roles she made famous.

“Well, they can’t be [remade] because they can’t be made without the permission of [the late] John Hughes, and he didn’t want the films to be remade,” Ringwald, 57, told People in an interview published on Saturday, January 31. “And I don’t think that they should be really.”

Hughes—who died of a heart attack in August 2009 at age 59—wrote and directed some of the most enduring teen movies of the ‘80s, with Ringwald frequently starring in his flicks. Their notable collaborations include 1984’s Sixteen Candles, 1985’s The Breakfast Club and 1986’s Pretty in Pink. (Some of Hughes’ other credits were 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1987’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles, 1989’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and 1990’s Home Alone.)

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Despite her reluctance to see any of Hughes’ films remade, Ringwald told People that The Breakfast Club would probably be the most relevant option in the modern era. However, she noted that a “take” on its themes would be preferable to a faithful remake.

“I feel like if somebody does something, I would prefer that they do something … that takes from Breakfast Club and then builds on [it] and represents this generation’s issues rather than to try to recreate what was of a different time,” she elaborated.

Hughes’ films launched the acting careers of several Hollywood up-and-comers, who were nicknamed the “Brat Pack.” Members included Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson and Andrew McCarthy.

“I still see them from time to time,” Ringwald said of her former costars. “I seem to see Jon Cryer the most, but I love them all. Annie—I love Annie Potts—and I see Andrew McCarthy from time to time. … It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years [since Pretty in Pink premiered].”

Ringwald became a teen icon thanks to her starring roles in Hughes’ films. In Sixteen Candles, she portrayed 16-year-old Samantha Baker, who celebrated her birthday amid her crush on Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling) and the romantic pursuits of Ted Farmer (Hall). The Breakfast Club saw Ringwald in an ensemble with Estevez, Hall, Nelson, Paul Gleason and Ally Sheedy as they embodied high school students in Saturday detention. As for Pretty in Pink, Ringwald played teenager Andie Walsh as she navigated her relationships with love interest Blane McDonnagh (McCarthy), best friend Philip F. “Duckie” Dale (Cryer) and her dad (Harry Dean Stanton).