Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz reveal details about their approach to their Ferris Bueller's Day Off spinoff film. Heald and Hurwitz developed Cobra Kai, a spinoff series of The Karate Kid franchise, along with Hayden Schlossberg in 2018. The series, which stars the original franchise actors reprising their roles, moved from YouTube Red to Netflix and recently wrapped its fifth season. After the positive reception to their spinoff, which masterfully walks the line between nostalgic and original, the three creators were tapped for a Ferris Bueller offshoot entitled Sam and Victor’s Day Off.
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Released in 1986, Ferris Bueller's Day Off starred Matthew Broderick as the titular Ferris, a high schooler who plays hooky in order to have a spontaneous and adventurous day with his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara). The coming-of-age film, set in Chicago, was written and directed by '80s film legend John Hughes. At one point, Ferris and his pals use Cameron's dad's Ferrari as their transportation for the day, and take it to a parking garage. The trio leave the car with two unnamed parking attendants, played by Richard Edson and the late Larry "Flash" Jenkins, who drive off in the car and return it in one piece but with many more miles on the odometer. The Ferris Bueller spinoff will center on the adventures of that pair on Ferris' day off; the creators have named the valets Sam and Victor.
Hurwitz and Heald, along with Schlossberg, now speak with Variety about their upcoming Ferris Bueller spinoff, discussing the ways it will compare to their approach with Cobra Kai. The two creators open up about their intentions, which they say are not to remake but to explore. See what they have to say below:
Hurwitz: We are children of the ’80s. When we talk about the seminal movie experiences of our lives, there’s a five-year period from ’83 to ’88, where a lot of those movies fall for us. “Ferris Bueller” was such a moment in our lives. We love side journeys. In “Ferris Bueller,” there’s this great wish fulfillment happening with these two valets, who take this amazing Ferrari on the ultimate joyride. We only get a couple of glimpses of them leaving, cresting a giant hill, taking the car airborne and then returning it. What’s going on in their lives? They seem to be living a very different experience than Ferris, who lives in the ultimate suburbia. What may have led to them needing that car, wanting that car and taking it? When you begin to unravel all the threads, it sparked a lot of ideas. We’re excited to tell a very different story that takes place in Chicago on that day that’s not trying to retread “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” It is only trying to add to it; we’re not trying to shove nostalgia down anyone’s throats. We love and respect movies that everyone talks about being untouchable, and this isn’t looking to touch or mess with “Ferris Bueller” in any way.
Heald: We’re not interested in remaking something. We love it so much, we want to explore it more. The similarity with “Cobra Kai,” it started with a point-of-view that you haven’t seen. In “Karate Kid,” what if you were in Johnny’s shoes? It makes you look back at “The Karate Kid” in a fun, different way. It keeps that movie alive in a different way. If things work out with this, it would be similar.
Hurwitz: We don’t want to spoil anything that’s going to happen, but needless to say, it’s taking place the same day as Ferris’ day off. They’re in Chicago, they’ve crossed paths on their journey. Some of the iconic set pieces or locations that we saw through Ferris’ eyes, perhaps we’ll get to see through the eyes of other characters.
Hurwtiz and Heald's comments illuminate the reasons for their success with Cobra Kai. Their mention of wanting to stay away from oversaturating the sequel with nostalgia is an approach that has worked well with the Karate Kid spinoff. Though nostalgia is inherent in the revisiting of any iconic '80s property, especially this one, the creators' reported interest in developing new stories within that setting is an exciting prospect. With the many remakes and reboots being produced now, Hurwitz, Heald, and Schlossberg's approach of breaking new ground within old properties is a great way to mine the very best of both worlds.
Despite some fans wondering whether a Ferris Bueller sequel, especially one about two minor, unnamed characters, is even necessary, Hurwitz, Heald, and Schlossberg have proved that they can find fresh and important stories within long-concluded films. Ferris Bueller, like The Karate Kid, may have had a satisfying ending, but that doesn't mean that it made the most of its setting and premise. Based on what Hurwitz had to say about their spinoff, Sam and Victor's Day Off will explore another side of Chicago in the '80s, which is a creative way to build off the established legacy of the original film without compromising the sanctity of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If their approach succeeds, a rich world of potential spinoffs will be opened up to filmmakers, giving side characters from other '80s and '90s classics their day in the sun.