The Breakfast Club - Final Bell
CC News Entertainment | By James Seidel
The Breakfast Club Reunites: 40 Years Later, the Iconic Five Stand Together Again in Chicago
James Seidel Writes a new Script for “The Breakfast Club: Final Bell”
CHICAGO, IL (CCN) – It was a moment four decades in the making. For the first time since the release of The Breakfast Club in 1985, all five principal cast members reunited publicly at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) on April 12. The emotionally charged reunion featured Judd Nelson (John Bender), Emilio Estevez (Andrew Clark), Anthony Michael Hall (Brian Johnson), Ally Sheedy (Allison Reynolds), and Molly Ringwald (Claire Standish) – the legendary five students who once served detention together at fictional Shermer High School.
The five entered the stage in unison, with the familiar notes of the Colonel Bogey March playing overhead—a nostalgic nod to one of the film’s most iconic scenes. What followed was a heartfelt, humorous, and candid panel moderated by Josh Horowitz, where the cast reflected on the film’s cultural impact, their time filming in Illinois, and the legacy of the late writer-director John Hughes.
“This is the first time that Emilio has joined us. We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout anymore because he’s here,” Molly Ringwald quipped, drawing laughter and applause.
Estevez, whose absence from previous reunions had been a mystery for fans, explained his decision to finally join. “I skipped all of my high school reunions, so this just was something that finally I felt I needed to do just for myself. But this one felt special—it’s here in Chicago where we made the film. Forty years. It was time.”
While other members of the cast have appeared together over the years—in various pairings and events such as the 30th anniversary screening at SXSW—this marked the first full reunion since the 1985 release. Notably, Sheedy and Estevez appeared in Andrew McCarthy’s 2024 documentary Brats, which revisited the era of the Brat Pack and its cultural relevance. Ringwald and Nelson, however, had opted not to participate in that film.
During the panel, the group shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the set at Maine North High School and spoke about the film’s enduring resonance with generations of viewers. Their stories highlighted the sense of connection and raw vulnerability that defined The Breakfast Club—a film that took place in a single room but opened doors for countless teens to feel seen.
As fans packed the convention hall, many dressed as their favorite characters, the panel became more than a nostalgic moment—it was a tribute to what The Breakfast Club stood for: the power of empathy, identity, and understanding across social divides.
And just like that, the “brain,” the “athlete,” the “basket case,” the “princess,” and the “criminal” stood united once more—proof that even after 40 years, the spirit of that Saturday detention still lingers in the hearts of fans everywhere.
Sincerely yours,
The Breakfast Club.
Title: “The Breakfast Club: Final Bell”
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Political Satire
Setting: Present Day — Champaign, Illinois; Memorial Stadium; Luxury Hotel owned by Carl Reed; Shermer, IL (flashbacks)
ACT I: The Call to Gather
Scene 1: News Break
John Bender, now the Governor of Illinois, reads a headline:
“Andrew Clark Named Head Coach of Northwestern Wildcats”
He smirks, “Clark? Still chasing trophies.”
Scene 2: Life Now
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Brian Johnson: A tech billionaire in Silicon Valley, emotionally detached, living in a minimalist mansion.
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Claire Standish: Runs a high-end fashion boutique in Chicago; stylish yet lonely.
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Allison Reynolds: A mysterious, wealthy widow living in an avant-garde art house.
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Andrew Clark: Coaching Northwestern’s football team, struggling to connect with his son.
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John Bender: Under FBI investigation for campaign fund misuse, still fiery and rebellious.
Scene 3: The Invite
Bender calls Andrew: “Big game in Champaign. Let’s get the crew back together.”
ACT II: Game Day and Reunion
Scene 1: The Game
Illinois defeats Northwestern at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL, on November 29, 2025 .
Scene 2: Post-Game Gathering
The group checks into a luxury hotel in Champaign, now owned by Carl Reed, their former janitor from Shermer High. Carl greets them warmly: “Some things you never forget.”
Scene 3: Booze Heist
The closed hotel bar is off-limits due to renovations. Bender leads a late-night heist, picking the lock and swiping vintage scotch. Claire objects, then joins in. Allison grabs a bottle of absinthe. Brian livestreams the escapade.
Scene 4: FBI Shadows
Unbeknownst to them, two plainclothes FBI agents are staking out the hotel, watching Bender closely.
ACT III: Revelations and Resolutions
Scene 1: Hotel Suite Showdown
The five gather in the penthouse suite, reminiscing. Emotions flare:
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Claire and Bender argue over their past.
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Brian confesses feelings of inadequacy.
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Andrew expresses resentment over his fame.
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Allison reveals her diagnosis of early-onset MS.
Scene 2: Carl’s Discovery
Carl notices suspicious activity in the surveillance room. Reviewing guest files left by the FBI, he realizes someone is planting documents in Bender’s suite.
Scene 3: Carl Saves the Day
Carl confronts the FBI agents, exposing their improper surveillance using hotel records. He calls in a favor from an old friend at the Justice Department, forcing the agents to back off.
Scene 4: Redemption and Realization
Grateful, the group shares more drinks and truths. Bender thanks Carl for believing in him. Carl responds, “You kids were never the problem. The system was.”
ACT IV: Farewell
Scene 1: The Celebration
Back at the hotel, they celebrate like it’s 1985. Dancing, laughing, crying. Brian kisses Claire. Andrew dances with Allison. Bender and Carl share a drink and mutual respect.
Scene 2: Sunday Morning
They all wake up together in the suite, hungover but happy. Breakfast is delivered. Allison leaves a lipstick print on a coffee cup.
INT. HOTEL SUITE – DAWN LIGHT BLEEDING THROUGH THE CURTAINS
The gang—older now, worn, wiser—sits around a breakfast table after a long night. Empty glasses. Laughter lingers in the air. Someone—Brian—starts to write something on hotel stationery.
BRIAN (V.O.)
Dear Agents of the Bureau,
We understand now that life is filled with sacrifices—some made willingly, others taken from us. We’ve each given something up: time, love, peace, our reputations, our health. And maybe that’s what growing up really is—learning how to carry those losses with grace.
You asked who we are. But you already decided. You filed us under categories, labeled us like evidence: the genius, the jock, the weirdo, the socialite, and the screw-up governor.
EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD – MORNING FOG LIFTING – CHAMPAIGN, IL
John Bender, gray at the temples and wearing a rumpled sport coat, walks slowly across the empty field where Illinois just beat Northwestern. The scoreboard still flickers.
BRIAN (V.O.) (CONT’D)
But the truth is, we’re all a little bit of everything now.
ANDREW (V.O.)
We’re coaches and kids again, sometimes in the same breath.
ALLISON (V.O.)
We’re haunted and healing. Broken and rebuilding.
CLAIRE (V.O.)
We’re successes, disappointments, parents, and dreamers.
BENDER (V.O.)
And yeah, some of us made enemies in high places. Doesn’t mean we’re wrong. Just means we mattered.
BRIAN (V.O.) (CONT’D)
So maybe we don’t fit your files.
Maybe the ones you think are guilty… aren’t.
And maybe those you forgot… still carry the weight.
But we’re not just the Breakfast Club anymore.
We’re what happens after the bell rings.
And we’re still standing.
Sincerely yours,
The Breakfast Club.
EXT. FOOTBALL FIELD – CONTINUOUS
Bender turns toward the hotel, fists his hand once more—not for victory, but defiance—and throws it in the air.
FREEZE FRAME.
FADE OUT.
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