OPINION
Director Steffan Elliot has recently floated the idea of a sequel to the adored Aussie film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
The director has mooted that the original stars Terrance Stamp, Huge Weaving and Guy Pearce would be ready to get back onboard the bus. Probably not the actual bus, because it’s recently been discovered sitting in decay on rural property. Bill Hunter is not available having sadly passed away in 2011.
Elliot’s suggestion of a sequel 30 years after the original film’s release has prompted actor Gia Carides to share that she’d be up for a sequel to Strictly Ballroom is director Baz Luhrman was intending to make one.
Carides played Liz Holt in the 1992 film alongside Tara Morice, Paul Mercurio, Sonia Kruger and once gain Bill Hunter. It made me wonder what the storylines would be for these characters thirty years later.
In the Even More Exciting Adventures of Priscilla is Adam Whitely now a theatre empresario who is down on his luck and needs to get the old troupe back together, except Anthony ‘Tick’ Belrose moved into corporate law and none of his partners know about his drag past. Bernadette was last heard of living on an outback cattle farm.
Did Scott Hastings and dance partner Fran become dance champions of the world before opening their own suburban ballroom studio. Sadly, they lost it all when they over-invested in the Zumba craze, and now they need to win the Senior’s competition to save the business.
What would Muriel and Rhonda be up to today if Toni Collette and Rachel Griffith’s signed on for a potential sequel Muriel’s Divorce? I feel Muriel owns a wedding dress shop but has had a succession of disappointing husbands by the time she’s in her mid-50s. Sadly, once again Bill Hunter is not here to reprise his role as Bill Heslop.
How about picking up on the story of The Sum of Us, did Jeff and Greg make it in the long run and campaign for marriage equality? Is Jeff now the coach of the local footy club?
What if Brett and Tash from Dating the Enemy bumped into each other decades later and swapped bodies again? What if the Kerrigan’s house was under threat one more time? What if we headed back to Woop-Woop?
It’s sad truth that Hollywood and by extension our local film industry would rather back a remake or a sequel that invest is fresh ideas and new stories. The Box Office numbers back up the decisions too, just look at the numbers of Top Gun: Maverick or the Willy Wonka prequel.
Some remakes address the lack of diversity in a much-loved work, recent reboots of Heartbreak High, Queer as Folk, Mean Girls, The Darling Buds of May, Mother and Son, Lost in Space and even The Famous Five have featured more people of colour, more women, and more transgender characters.
Maybe it’s time for a new take on McLeod’s Daughters, Law of the Land, Secret Valley or A Country Practice. …or maybe we could just be brave and bold and invest in some brand-new stories.
Graeme Watson worked at the Film and Television Institute (WA) before moving into radio and print media and journalism.
