‘The Sandlot’ Returning as a TV Series With the Original Cast

A television sequel to The Sandlot is in the works and the original cast is returning.

The Sandlot director David Mickey Evans announced the sequel during an episode of baseball podcast The Rain Delay. Evans said that a streaming service already picked up the series for two seasons, but did not reveal which one.

Evans also stated that the film’s original cast will be back. That cast and their characters are Tom Guiry (Scotty Smalls), Mike Vitar (Benjamin “Benny” Franklin Rodriguez), Patrick Renna (Hamilton “Ham” Porter), Chauncey Leopardi (Michael “Squints” Palledorous), Marty York (Alan “Yeah-Yeah” McClennan), Brandon Quintin Adams (Kenny DeNunez), Grant Gelt (Bertram Weeks), Victor DiMattia (Timmy Timmons), and Shane Obedzinski (Tommy “Repeat” Timmons).

The Sandlot combined the classic coming-of-age story with a sports film. In the film, set in 1962, Scottie Smalls moves to a new neighborhood and makes friends with a group of kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on a series of adventures and find trouble when Smalls borrows a ball from his stepdad that gets hit over a fence.

The end of the film flashes forward three decades. While most of the kids have scattered into adulthood, Benny and Scotty remain close. Benny becomes a Major League Baseball player and Scotty a sportscaster.

The Sandlot remains a sentimental favorite for many who were around the same age as the characters in 1993 when it first released. A prequel movie is also in the works.

The Sandlot has had two previous follow-ups. Evans wrote and directed The Sandlot 2, a direct-to-video sequel released in 2005. James Earl Jones, who plays the Beast’s owner Mr. Mertle, was the only cast member who returned.

A second direct-to-video sequel released in 2007, this time without Evans’ involvement. The Sandlot: Heading Home starred Luke Perry as Tommy “Santa” Santorelli. The plot involved Santorelli getting transported back to 1975 to relive his childhood. Leopardi reprised his role as Squints from the original film.

Evans and the cast have remained close to the film. They made public appearances for the film’s 25th anniversary Blu-ray release, during which Evans talked about the film.

“When I write a movie, I write it for myself,” Evans told The Morning Call. “It turns out, luckily for me, when I write for myself and I like it, other people like it as well. I used to question it; I don’t anymore. The minute you start getting arrogant about it, you’re dead.

“You can go an entire career, a lifetime of being a writer and never get anything that even remotely approaches that. I remain intensely grateful to fans who have embraced and continue to embrace it and keep passing it on to the next generation.”

Are you excited about The Sandlot TV show? Let us know in the comments.

(h/t SlashFilm)