Emilio Estevez Talks ‘Breakfast Club’ Reunion, Reviving ‘Young Guns,’ and New Sequels to Fan Favorites

From Billy the Kid to Coach Bombay, Emilio Estevez talks career comeback.

Emilio Estevez, long known for his roles in classic 1980s and ’90s films, made a rare and emotional appearance during The Breakfast Club’s 40th anniversary reunion at C2E2 in Chicago. It marked the first time Estevez joined his castmates for a public reunion, a moment he described as “overwhelming” and “unexpectedly emotional.”

“I got very emotional,” Estevez said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. “I didn’t anticipate that I would tear up in the way that I did.”

Despite avoiding reunions for decades, Estevez said this particular event felt right. “If I was ever going to do it, it would be this one. Chicago. The 40th anniversary. And with someone like Josh [Horowitz, podcast host], who’s a true cinephile.”

During the hour-long conversation, Estevez opened up about his legacy.

He also talks about his discomfort with fame, and his growing willingness to revisit his past, both personally and professionally. One such project is Young Guns 3: Dead or Alive, a direct sequel to the cult Westerns Young Guns (1988) and Young Guns II (1990).

“Playing Billy the Kid is probably the closest I’ve come to playing someone like myself,” he said. “He was beautifully unhinged, a prankster, a jokester—beloved and feared.”

Estevez revealed the new film will pick up from the controversial legend of Brushy Bill Roberts, who claimed to be Billy the Kid decades after the outlaw was presumed dead. The film, which Estevez will direct and star in, is already deep into development with scouting completed, casting underway, and a script finalized. Returning cast members include Lou Diamond Phillips and Christian Slater.

The story, set during the early days of the Mexican Revolution, follows a new generation of regulators—mostly Latino and Indigenous fighters—and explores mentorship, identity, and revolution themes. “It’s not a forced reboot,” he explained. “It’s a natural evolution. It’s historically rooted and culturally relevant.”

Estevez also shared that he wrote Mighty Ducks 4 during the Hollywood strikes.

It is a feature film script he hoped would reignite the beloved Mighty Ducks Disney franchise. The story sees Coach Gordon Bombay pulled back into the world of hockey by original characters, including Joshua Jackson’s Charlie Conway and Kenan Thompson’s Russ Tyler.

The twist? Bombay is coaching a professional women’s hockey league expansion team this time. “He’s found coaching again through roller derby, and when the opportunity comes, he brings his girls with him,” Estevez said. “It’s funny, fresh, and very of the moment—but Disney passed.”

Another surprise project in the works is Maximum Overdrive 2.

It would be a sequel to Stephen King’s infamous 1986 directorial debut. The original, starring Emilio Estevez, featured machines coming to life and wreaking havoc on humanity. King has famously disavowed the film, calling it a product of his drug addiction.

Estevez took inspiration from the original’s chaos, penning a new script centered around his character, now running a diner that becomes ground zero when technology turns hostile once again. “It’s cool. It’s got heart, humor, and high stakes,” he said. “Guy Fieri even shows up on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’—on the day the world goes to hell.”

Despite De Laurentiis Entertainment’s refusal to option the script, Estevez remains hopeful. “We don’t have the rights, but we have the story.”

Now in a reflective phase of his life, Estevez said he’s found peace in embracing his past, rather than running from it. “I’ve always looked forward, never put posters up in my house. But I’m embracing it now. Why not?”

As for what’s next, Estevez is ready to keep telling stories—whether they’re revisited classics or bold, new tales. “I didn’t get into this for money or fame. I just wanted to tell stories. And I still do.”

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