‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ Returning To Theaters For 40th Anniversary Run
“St. Elmo’s Fire” cast members (l to r): Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Mare Winningham and Andrew McCarthy.
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Columbia Pictures
The Brat Pack hit St. Elmo’s Fire, starring Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson and Mare Winningham, is returning to the big screen in celebration of the film’s 40th anniversary.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, St. Elmo’s Fire was released in theaters on Jan. 1, 1985. Written by Shumacher and Carl Kurlander, St. Elmo’s Fire qualified as a Brat Pack movie — which typically starred two or more of the same group of actors in coming-of-age stories — and was released a mere six weeks before another Brat Pack classic, The Breakfast Club.
Sony Pictures Entertainment announced on Monday that its subsidiary, Columbia Pictures, will be re-releasing St. Elmo’s Fire in theaters for a one-week run beginning Oct. 17 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film.
The official summary for the re-release reads, “Catch the hottest young actors of the day in this film about seven friends, recent college graduates searching for a place in ‘the real world,’ as they face the issues of career and commitment. Leslie and Alex (Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson) try to save a crumbling romance. Wendy (Mare Winningham), a shy virgin, hides a love for Billy (Rob Lowe), a reluctant father/husband still searching for goals.
“Kevin (Andrew McCarthy) is a cynical writer who scorns love until he realizes he’s in love with his best friend’s girl. Kirbo (Emilio Estevez), a law student, obsessively pursues an older woman. The beautiful, neurotic Jules (Demi Moore) paints a poignant picture of life in the fast lane. Against the backdrop of St. Elmo’s, their local hang-out, they save, betray and love one another as only the closest friends can.”
Andrew McCarthy Caught Up With Several Brat Pack Co-Stars For His Documentary ‘Brats’
A renewed interest in the Brat Pack emerged in 2024 when actor-filmmaker Andrew McCarthy caught up with several of his former co-stars for his high-profile Hulu documentary Brats.
In Brats, McCarthy tracked down his St. Elmo’s Fire co-stars Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy to recall their memories of being caught up in the decade-long film craze, and the umbrage that some of them took to the Brat Pack label. Some of the actors from St. Elmo’s Fire and other Brat Pack films — most notably Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson — declined an invitation to participate.
Apart from St. Elmo’s Fire and The Breakfast Club, other Brat Pack movies of the 1980s included Class (1983), Sixteen Candles (1984), Pretty in Pink (1986) and About Last Night (1986).
Thanks to the resurgence in popularity in the group of actors after the release of McCarthy’s Brats documentary, Sony Pictures Entertainment in June 2024 started to explore the idea of a St. Elmo’s Fire sequel, Deadline reported.
In an interview with People in June, Lowe gave an update on the St. Elmo’s Fire sequel, noting, “We’re working on a script and it’s getting really good.”
“I think it’s super valid to revisit those characters that continue to mean a lot to people and watch them navigate this chapter of life, because arguably this chapter of life is every bit as interesting and fraught as — ‘What do I do when I get out of college?'” the actor added.
St. Elmo’s Fire returns to theaters for one week beginning Oct. 17.