Mrs. Doubtfiredirector Chris Columbus confirms there were ongoing conversations about a potential sequel of the family comedy beforeRobin Williamspassed away. It has been 30 years since the premiere ofMrs. Doubtfire, the successful adaptation of Anne Fine’s 1987 novel, and one of the great classics in the filmography of the late, great Robin Williams. The actor, who had already amazed the world with his talents by that time in projects likeMork & Mindy,Dead Poets Society,Hookand his incredible portrayal of the Genie inAladdin, was already a star when he starred in the film directed by Columbus.
The movie was a huge hit. In fact,Mrs. Doubtfirebecame the second highest-grossing film in 1993 with $441 million dollars from a budget of $25 million, falling behind none other thanJurassic Park. And of course, the film was so successful and had such a great impact on Williams' career and the audience, that the idea of making a sequel was present. In fact, it was very close to happening.
In an interview withBusiness Insider, Columbus confirmed that there were talks about making a second movie before Williams passed away:
“He and I didn’t talk about a sequel until the year he passed away. We had a script that was written and it was the last time I saw Robin. I went to his house and we sat down and talked about it and the script was really strong. Robin’s only comment was, ‘Boss, do I have to be in the suit as much this time?’ It was physically demanding. For Robin, I think it was like running a marathon every day he was in the Doubtfire costume. He was older, obviously. So we talked about it and I think he was hoping in the rewrite we would cut back on the Doubtfire character. But then Robin passed away so there will never be a sequel to Mrs. Doubtfire.”
Robin Williams Returns as The Genie in Once Upon A Studio Footage
Using outtakes from his original performance, the late, great Robin Williams will once again provide the voice of The Genie.
Should Mrs. Doubtfire Get a Sequel?
Belated sequels have become a trend in Hollywood in recent years.Jurassic Park,Mrs. Doubtfire’s great competitor is a clear example of this. Although the originalJurassicmovie had its sequels, another trilogy of films was recently released, 22 years after the debut of the first installment. So a second part ofMrs. Doubtfirewould fit with this cinematic trend.
However, for Columbus, making a sequel without Williams would be a huge mistake:
“Fox/Disney owns the rights, I think. I don’t think the Williams family owns it, so the studio can do whatever they want with it. Should they? God no. I will certainly be very vocal about it if they decide to do it.”
Mrs. Doubtfirefollows the story of Daniel Hillard, a father who has an excellent relationship with his children but who, in the eyes of his wife Miranda, behaves like just another child. Tired of being the only adult in the house, she decides to separate from Daniel. Desperate to spend every day with his children again, Daniel disguises himself as an older woman and pretends to be a babysitter, Euphegenia Doubtfire,in one of Williams' funniest performances.
