1980s child star talks 'Goonies' sequel, music career, and why AI threatens Hollywood's ‘magic'

Fox News

3 days ago

"The Goonies" star Corey Feldman is concerned that the rise of artificial intelligence could ruin the "magic" of Hollywood filmmaking.
In a new interview with Fox News Digital, the entertainer talked about his decades of being part of the film industry and what he thinks of it today compared to how it was when he was starring in beloved 80s classics like "Goonies," "The Lost Boys" and "The Burbs."
When asked if he believes modern Hollywood can still conjure up the same "magic" that led to the creation of these iconic films, he said he wasn't so sure.
"Well, I share the opinion that there is a lot of the magic that's been lost because of A.I., because of CGI, because of, you know, these things kind of taking over from the good stories, the great characters that we draw, the great writing," Feldman said.
The actor, who recently marked 50 years in the entertainment industry, said how important it is for people in Hollywood not to let technology get in the way of elements that make good, meaningful art.
"And I think that it's so important that we treasure those things, because we're coming into a time where A.I. is scheduled to take over all the creative ideas from people's minds right now," he said. "People rely on it for songwriting, they rely on it for music, they rely on it for special effects, they rely on it for story writing. I mean all sorts of things."
"They'll eventually probably try to replace us actors with A.I. people," he predicted. "I don't think it will be long before all of that is tried."
However, the "Stand By Me" star said he believes that an industry that's so integrated with A.I. technology will fail to resonate with audiences.
He added, "But will it survive? Will it win? Will it have the same magic? No, it never can, because it's called the human experience and if we don't bring the human experience to the table, why would other humans relate with the project?"
Feldman's decades in entertainment began with him starring in commercials as a small child. The actor, who is also focused on his music career – including launching a world tour later this year – said his musical talent is what jump-started his acting career.
"As a child, you know, I used to have to go on auditions, and you know, when you're three-and-a-half, four years old, you can't read, you can't read a script, you can't memorize, you know, it's impossible. So, the way my mom thought to get around that was to actually train me how to sing," he said.
"So I'd go on a commercial audition, I'd go, and I'd sing to them, and they'd go, 'Oh, that kid's so cute because he can sing.' And then I'd get the part. And that led to my first TV appearance," he continued.
Feldman's music career has come full circle, with his new single, "Characters," released on June 22. He explained the psychedelic-sounding track is "actually both a tribute to The Beatles and a celebration of my 50th year in entertainment."
He said, "It talks about really the many characters that I've played through the years. Obviously I've played a lot of memorable characters that people hold dear and near in their hearts, and you know, I always want to acknowledge the fans in some way, and I thought, what better way than to give back to the fans by creating a song that represents those characters?"
When asked what he thinks about Hollywood today compared to how it was when he started half a century ago, he said it depends on your perspective.
"Yeah, I think there's pros and cons. I mean, look, you can say 'the good old days.' And yes, they were, I mean let's face it, the eighties were easier, the eighties were simpler, you know? People played outside together and rode their bikes and went on adventures. And it was just a beautiful magical time. But, of course, that's because I was a child then."
The actor added, "I think it's every generation that feels that way. I think that's just progress and I think that's the schedule of time. We all age, we all get older, but we also look back fondly at our earlier memories. I mean, let's face it, my life was a nightmare. I had a very abusive childhood. I had predators all around me. I had all that stuff I was dealing with, both female and male. So yeah, for me, it was a very difficult time. And, and personally speaking, today is a much better day."
During the interview, Feldman also weighed in on news that "The Goonies" would be getting a sequel with Steven Spielberg producing.
Variety reported in February that Warner Bros. hired Potsy Ponciroli to write the script for the sequel. Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Holly Bario, and Chris Columbus – who wrote the original film's script – will produce for Amblin Entertainment.
Feldman remarked, "And the big question is, we don't know what the script is, when it will be done, when it will ready, who's included, who's involved. Nobody's gotten the script, nobody has gotten an offer, so that's all we know for now. This is the 40th anniversary, though, of that film, so it's pretty ironic that this year is both the 40th anniversary of "Goonies" and the 50th anniversary of my career. Pretty wild."
When asked if he thinks he will be reprising his role as Clark "Mouth" Devereaux in the sequel, he said, "I think that's the way it's moving. I can't tell you."
Mentioning how the original cast are excited about the possibility, he said, "We would all love to see it happen and we would love to be a part of it. But at the same time, we don't want to do it if it's not right."
Feldman noted they're pretty hopeful about the movie being a winner, especially with Spielberg on board.
"I can't imagine Steven Spielberg doing it wrong. As long as he's involved, I know it's going to be magical. But that said, we're reserving, you know, any other opinion until we see a script."
The actor shared some insight as to why the long-awaited sequel got the green light, saying he heard it might have been a response to the box office success of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," which saw the return of its original stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.
Feldman said, "Chris Columbus did say to me that he felt the reason why this was happening now, finally, after 40 years as opposed to any other time in history, was based really on the success of 'Beetlejuice' for Warner Brothers, because they had such a success with that chemistry, which of course was bringing the original cast back."