A sequel to the iconic 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” is currently in the works, with the release date tentatively set for the 2015 holiday season, Variety reports.
Star Partners and Hummingbird Prods. are collaborating on the production of the sequel, titled “It’s A Wonderful Life: The Rest of the Story,” and the screenplay has already been written by Bob Farnsworth and Martha Bolton.
Bing: ‘The Best Man Holiday’ strong box office
“The storyline of the new film retains the spirit of the original — every life is important as long as you have friends,” Farnsworth said.
The surprising sequel will even be bringing back a few of the original cast members — most notably Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in the original — who will now appear as an angel who shows George Bailey’s grandson (also named George Bailey) how much better off the world would have been had he never been born.
“The new film will retain the feeling of the original, and it simply must be shared,” Grimes said. “I’ve probably read close to 20 scripts over the years suggesting a sequel to ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’ but none of them were any good. The script by Bob Farnsworth and Martha Bolton was wonderful, and I wanted to be involved with his version of the film immediately.”
Jimmy Hawkins (Tommy Bailey) and Carol Coombs (Janie Bailey) are also said to be in talks to appear in the sequel.
But the sequel, of course, has plenty to live up to — besides being a beloved Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which starred Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, was nominated for five Oscars including a Best Actor nomination for Stewart.
Related stories on ETonline.com:
Buckle Up! Aaron Paul Has the ‘Need for Speed’