Movies

Emilio Estevez’s ‘Maximum Overdrive’ Sequel Stalls

BBG News

For quite some time now, adaptations have excelled, but prior to this period, there were several disappointing flops that bore the renowned horror author’s name, even one he directed himself. That film was the disastrous blaze known as “Maximum Overdrive“, a movie inspired by the short story “Trucks“, where an extraterrestrial force animates massive vehicles with deadly intentions. Remarkably, it appears that its lead actor, “Emilio Estevez“, has been developing a sequel.

As a cinephile, I’ve always been intrigued by Maximum Overdrive, a movie written and directed by the legendary Stephen King – and trust me, there’s a good reason it’s his only directorial venture! This flick was unleashed on the silver screen in 1986 with a modest budget of $9.1 million, but it barely managed to haul in $7.5 million at the box office. Critics were particularly harsh; the film’s Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score stands dismally low at 14%, while audiences gave it a more lenient, yet still “rotten” rating of 50%.

However, something about this movie must have struck a chord with Emilio Estevez in an unexpected manner, as he felt compelled to pen a script for a sequel almost four decades later.

In an interview with Josh Horowitz on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Estevez shared that even though he doesn’t own the rights to the intellectual property, he has penned down more than 50 pages of a potential sequel outline. Put simply, he stated this: “I’ve drafted over 50 pages for a sequel proposal, but I don’t actually hold the rights.

As technology advanced and AI became more prevalent, I began envisioning a sequel to ‘Maximum Overdrive’. During the [2023 SAG-AFTRA] strike, this idea took shape and I started writing it. Now, I’ve progressed from page 1 to page 50, and my imagination just won’t slow down. The rights to ‘Maximum Overdrive’ are held by Dino De Laurentis, and this new story takes place in a world that’s as wild as my mind.

Emilio Estevez’s Stephen King Sequel Was Quickly Powered Down

In the course of the discussion, it was revealed that the actor plans to take up the same character of Bill, a former convict who became a short-order cook, in his upcoming film.

He owns a diner, has a young child, and manages a team of his own – folks he considers family. Remarkably, Guy Fieri is scheduled to visit for ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’, but on the same day when chaos strikes and technology fails.

Yet, Estevez encountered strong resistance when proposing his idea to De Laurentiis. The latter swiftly dismissed it with little thought.

The concept was impressive. It was an outstanding screenplay, really. But De Laurentiis replied, ‘Sorry, we already hold the rights to this. We’re not considering it. We’re moving forward with our own project.’ I simply agreed.

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia when I think about Emilio Estevez yearning to revisit the realm of lethal machinery. However, it appears that no one else seems keen on returning to this ominous world, given the chilling legacy of the original film. It’s not hard to understand why De Laurentiis and others might wish for Maximum Overdrive to stay entombed in yesteryear, as a relic of a past best left behind. As two other Stephen King adaptations wisely put it, sometimes the dead should remain dead.

What’s particularly intriguing is that Estevez hasn’t seemed to consider crafting a script unrelated to King’s oeuvre, opting instead for a sequel or reboot. Perhaps an original tale set in a fresh universe could be just as thrilling? Just a thought.

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2025-04-20 20:32

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