Sky High Director Reveals Cancelled Sequel Plans, Names Key Stars That Would Have Returned (Exclusive)
Sky High remains one of the 21st century's biggest cult classics.
Where is the Sky High sequel? Back in 2005, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution released a rare original superhero ensemble piece just a couple years before the comic book boom of the 2010s. While Sky High only brought in $86.4 million dollars at the box office, the positive reviews from critics at the time as well as the strong word of mouth over the past two decades has has transformed the film into a bonafide cult classic. This traction was enough to get Disney to at least entertain expanding the franchise, as both a sequel and a spin-off series were put in early development, but nothing has come from either in recent memory.
Who Would Return in a Sky High 2?
Even if it never sees the light of day, there are fleshed out concepts for a Sky High sequel.
Speaking to ComicBook in promotion of the home media release of Kung Fu Panda 4, Sky High director Mike Mitchell noted that he would make it a priority to bring back the original ensemble for a hypothetical second installment.
"All the original kids would be back again, including Cousin Greg. That was one of his first films," Mitchell said of Sky High star Nicholas Braun, who went on to have a career-defining role in HBO's Succession as the aforementioned Cousin Greg. "Mary Elizabeth Winsted as Royal Pain, Kurt Russell would have to be back as well."
As for what Braun's Zack Attack, Winstead's Royal Pain, Russell's The Commander and others would be up to, Mitchell revealed that all the former students would now be teachers at a new collegiate superhero campus.
"We figured all the kids are now grown up and they're all university teachers at a place called Save U," Mitchell continued. "You just take all that fun and we bring it from the high school into the college years. It would be such a blast."
Regardless of what the future holds for the Sky High world, Mitchell looks back on his work on the 2005 film fondly and still sees traces of that experience in the films he makes today.
"I was a huge fan of that film as well. I've never had so much fun working on something," Mitchell added. "That is also to say Kung Fu Panda 4 was pretty great to work on as well. Both of them got to incorporate funny action too, which I think is really important. I love a film where you don't just get to be funny, but you get to really have fun and also insane action. Those films are similar in that way."
Kung Fu Panda 4 will be available to own on May 28th on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD.