After The DisInsider first reported early talks were underway, Deadline has been able to confirm that Rick Moranis will return as Wayne Szalinski in ‘Shrunk.’ The film is a legacy sequel to the ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ franchise, existing in the same world as the previous films and continuing the overall storyline.
1989’s ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ is a widely beloved Disney film that carries a surprising amount of pedigree. In addition to being the directorial debut of Joe Johnston (‘The Rocketeer,’ ‘Captain America: The First Avenger), it featured the comedic stylings of Moranis at its center. Moranis famously stepped away from acting in 1997 in order to raise his children after the death of his wife, Ann. Now, Rick Moranis will make his long-awaited return to the big screen.
The sequel will also see the return of Johnston as director, in what could very well be his final film. He was previously going to retire after helming ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair.’ However, the rights are now at Netflix, and the streamer will likely start from scratch.
The DisInsider also had a character breakdown for Wayne Szalinski:
“Aware that the family ties have loosened over time but seemingly afraid to confront anyone directly. He has been tinkering alone in his attic for decades, dealing with the grief of losing his wife. When we first meet him, he has accidentally shrunk himself and is flying around on a shrunken drone — seemingly lost in a continuous of tinkering and experimenting that often puts himself and his family in jeopardy. He later reveals he shut himself away to try and invent a solution to help shrink Diane’s cancer but found it hard to cope when he ran out of time. His guilt and shame is palpable. Through the crisis of the kids getting shrunk, the truth emerges and the bonds begin to redevelop between him and his kids.”
Moreover, Josh Gad stars as Nick Szalinski, the son of Moranis’ Wayne Szalinski. Gad’s character wishes to follow his father’s example of being a great inventor, but winds up shrinking his own children by mistake.
The screenplay is from Todd Rosenberg, who wrote the upcoming Marc Meyers-directed film ‘All My Life.’
Meanwhile, there is no word on when production will begin, but casting will probably ramp up soon.
The film will receive a theatrical release, but there is no date on the calendar yet.
Source: The DisInsider and Deadline
Jacob Tyler contributed to this article.