Molly Ringwald, known for her roles in John Hughes' 1980s classics, stated at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival that the late director did not want his movies remade. She expressed support for new stories inspired by films like The Breakfast Club rather than direct recreations. Ringwald was promoting her new film Run Amok at the event.
Molly Ringwald rose to fame through leading roles in John Hughes' coming-of-age films, including Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. Speaking to People magazine at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, she addressed the possibility of remaking these iconic movies. "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 said. "And I don’t think that they should be really."
Hughes, whose films defined the 1980s, died in 2009 from a heart attack at age 59. While Ringwald ruled out remakes, she welcomed fresh takes on the themes. She highlighted The Breakfast Club, the 1985 cult classic, as particularly relevant today. "I feel like if somebody does something, I would prefer that they do something … that takes from ‘[The] 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 explained.
Ringwald also reflected on her co-stars from the era. "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]," she noted.
At Sundance, Ringwald promoted Run Amok, her new film about a 13-year-old high school freshman named Meg who stages a musical reenactment of a school shooting from 10 years prior. Her recent credits include films Montauk, Pursued, and The Kissing Booth, as well as TV series Feud, Riverdale, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.