It’s official: Warner Bros. is bringing The Goonies 2 to life. Almost 40 years after the original debuted in theaters, fans of the cult classic will see their favorite treasure-hunting misfits return in a sequel. Per Variety on Friday:

"Warner Bros. has hired Potsy Ponciroli to write the script for the sequel, it was announced Friday — almost 40 years after the original movie hit theaters back in 1985. Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, and Holly Bario will produce for Amblin Entertainment alongside Chris Columbus, who wrote the original Goonies script. Lauren Shuler Donner will executive produce."

But this announcement has sparked plenty of questions. The Goonies remains a beloved piece of cinematic history—do we really need a sequel?

For those unfamiliar (where have you been?), the 1985 classic followed a group of kids who stumbled upon a pirate treasure map in their Oregon coastal town of Astoria. Their journey to find the treasure included booby traps, villains, and unforgettable characters like Sloth and Chunk. Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg, the movie grossed $125 million worldwide on a $19 million budget and earned a permanent spot in pop culture.

But here’s the thing: The Goonies doesn’t need a sequel. The original story was a perfect, self-contained treasure chest of nostalgia. What could The Goonies 2 possibly look like now? The original cast—Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Ke Huy Quan, and Martha Plimpton—are now in their fifties. What’s left for the Goonies to explore? Taxes? Retirement? TikTok? The magic of the original came from its sense of childhood adventure, something that’s hard to recreate when the treasure hunters are middle-aged.

As an Oregonian, The Goonies will always hold a special place in my heart. Even if I weren’t from here, though, it’s one of my all-time favorite movies. That mix of adventure, humor, and heart? You can’t recreate that. And you definitely can’t improve it by forcing a sequel almost 40 years later. It's a piece of history, a time capsule that doesn’t need to be pried open again.

There’s one bright spot: Ke Huy Quan’s return to acting. After his Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, seeing him back on the big screen is always a win. But even then, it feels bittersweet to revisit a role that doesn’t need revisiting.

Hollywood’s obsession with nostalgia often sacrifices originality for familiarity. While The Goonies 2 will undoubtedly draw attention and fill theaters, it risks diluting the magic of the original.

For now, let’s hope the sequel does justice to the legacy of The Goonies. But if you ask me, this is one treasure that might’ve been better left buried.million budget. More importantly, it became a cult classic, even earning a spot in the National Film Registry in 2017.

Still, I can’t shake the feeling that this sequel isn’t about storytelling or creativity—it’s about cashing in on nostalgia. It’s a trend we’ve seen all too often: beloved films being dragged out of retirement and turned into something unrecognizable, just for the sake of a box office payday. The Goonies are better than that. They deserve better than that.

Hollywood, if you’re listening, let this one rest. Some stories don’t need a sequel. Some treasures are better left buried. Goonies Never Say Die… But Maybe They Should!