Upon the 30th Anniversary of MRS. DOUBTFIRE, Director Chris Columbus Reveals a Sequel Could Have Happened

Robin Williams Was in Talks for Doubtfire Sequel

It has been revealed that before Robin Williams‘ death in 2014, a sequel to the 1993 hit, Mrs. Doubtfire, had been in talks.

Chris Columbus, the director of Mrs. Doubtfire, had spoken to Robin Williams before his death about the possibility of a sequel to that beloved 1993 comedy. There was even a pretty good script at the time that had been put together for the potential project. It could have well happened had Williams’ life not been unexpectedly cut short. The 1993 film had become a Broadway musical in 2019 that was, unfortunately, axed due mostly to the events surrounding the pandemic. That musical production is still touring but in terms of a cinematic return of the character of Mrs. Doubtfire, it probably won’t happen.

Mrs. Doubtfire opened in November of 1993 and became the second highest money maker of the year, right behind Jurassic Park. It just turned 30 a couple of days ago. In the movie, Williams played an actor/dad who wanted to see his kids more often and disguised himself as an older woman to be the nanny for those kids after a nasty separation from his wife. Columbus said Williams didn’t want to wear the Mrs. Doubtfire costume as much in the sequel if it had been made. It was during the year of Williams’ death that the topic of a sequel to the 1993 film even arose. It is uncertain whether co-stars Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan or Harvey Fierstein would have been a part of the sequel had it been made.

Consequently, an article has stated that Williams improvised so much on the set of the 1993 comedy that 2 million feet of film was used to capture all the hilarity. The set had a ball making the picture but could anyone duplicate the kind of brilliance that Williams brought to the table in the original movie? Probably not. Disney/Fox has rights to the material but honoring Williams’ work and his memory may be key to respecting the property and not doing a follow-up film. Things could probably never flow as perfectly as they did in a sequel when considering the talents of the great Williams.

Mrs. Doubtfire earned an “A” CinemaScore grade upon its release 30 years ago. It grossed $219 million domestically and another $222 million overseas. The picture surprised the industry because reviews on it were mixed. Audiences didn’t care. They loved watching the master of comedy, Robin Williams, at his zaniest. It is arguably Williams’ funniest performance ever. Celebrate its 30th anniversary by re-watching the magic of Robin Williams in all his hysterical glory in Mrs. Doubtfire.

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