Sean Astin Reflects on The Goonies 40th Anniversary: A Celebration of Adventure, Stardom, and the Importance of Saying Yes

On a Saturday evening in June 2025, actor Sean Astin returned to Salt Lake City to join fans at Kingsbury Hall on the campus of the University of Utah for a 40th anniversary screening of his iconic film "The Goonies." The event was a celebration of the film's 40th birthday, which officially occurred on June 7. Astin, who is best known for his roles in "The Goonies," "Lord of the Rings," and "Rudy," was greeted by cheers from the crowd as he took the stage for a brief Q&A session after the screening. He is no stranger to Salt Lake City, having done several comic conventions in the city and filmed two movies in Utah, "The Freemason" and "Forever Strong," he said. During the Q&A, Astin shared his memories of his early acting career and how "The Goonies" provided him with his first glimpse at stardom. As a junior high school student, he saw his face plastered on the side of a large theater in his hometown of Los Angeles. "I was on the wall. I was a star," he said. However, when it came to running for eighth grade class president, none of his classmates cared about his burgeoning acting career. Astin also revealed that he and co-star Corey Feldman wrote a "high-concept" treatment for a sequel to "The Goonies," which included time travel and meeting the legendary pirate from the movie, One-Eyed Willy. They pitched their ideas to director Richard Donner, who patiently listened but told them, "We're not going to do that." Despite this setback, Astin is still passionate about the film and its impact on fans. He believes that the enduring popularity of "The Goonies" is due to the fact that we now live in a "closed-feeling world" where technology has changed both childhood and adulthood. "Human life on planet Earth is different post-1980s and 'The Goonies' just captured a sweet, indelible, perfect piece of childhood at that time," he said. Astin also shared some parenting advice he received: "Say yes to everything you can possibly say yes to." He admitted that this parenting style can be exhausting but provides children with opportunities to "lean more into life" and maintain a spirit of play and adventure. He added that this is what "The Goonies" is winking at all of us to do. During the Q&A, Astin also confirmed that a sequel to "The Goonies" is happening but did not have any details about it. He said, "They're going to do a sequel. I don't know what it would be (about), but they're doing it for sure." Fans in Salt Lake City still show up for anniversary screenings of the movie in droves, and Astin believes this is because they can take the adventure spirit from the film and deploy it in their own lives. He added, "It's our time. It's a gift. It's a God-given gift, our time on this planet." The event was a nostalgic and emotional one for fans and Astin alike, as they celebrated the film that launched Astin's successful acting career 40 years ago.