Spring Breakers is getting a surprise sequel more than a decade after it premiered – with Stranger Things breakout star Grace Van Dien attached.
Released in 2012, the crime drama stars Disney alumni Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens alongside Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine as college students who rob a restaurant in order to fund their spring break vacation. Dave Franco plays a drug dealer.
Directed by Harmony Korine, Spring Breakers was an early hit for the indie film studio A24, which has gone on to release Oscar-winning films including Moonlight (2016) and Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).
The film received mixed reviews upon release, but went on to become a cult classic among fans.
Now, 13 years later, a sequel, titled Spring Breakers: Salvation, is officially in the works.
Although the original producers are returning to work on the follow-up, fans may be disappointed to learn that the sequel will feature an all new cast, including fellow Disney alum Bella Thorne.
Thorne, 27, got her start as a teenager in the Disney show Shake It Up alongside Zendaya. She has since starred in films including Sam Levinson’s satire Assassination Nation (2018), The Duff (2015), and the Netflix thriller You Get Me (2017).
Ariel Martin (Zombies 2) and True Whitaker (Godfather of Harlem) will also star, alongside Stranger Things actor Grace Van Dien, who won fans over with her portrayal of Chrissy Cunningham in season four of the Netflix sci-fi series. Replacing Korine in the director’s chair will be Matthew Bright (Freeway).
In a plot that’s reminiscent of the original film, the four actors will play a group of girls on a wild spring break trip. The synopsis describes the forthcoming film as “a bold new ride for Gen Z”.
“When their trip explodes out of control, they’re forced to outrun the chaos they’ve created,” it continues.
Despite earning initial reviews that ranged from tepid to terrible, Spring Breakers went on to gross over $30m at the global box office from a $5m budget.
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This is not the first time an idea for a sequel has been floated. In 2014, Spring Breakers: The Second Coming was announced with Scottish author Irvine Welsh attached to write.
By 2017, however, the project had been shelved in favour of a digital series that never came to fruition.
Last year, Gomez, 32, reflected on the legacy of Spring Breakers in an interview with IndieWire.
The Emilia Perez star said: “It was so long ago now, but I think that was one of the moments in my life that I felt like, ‘Oh, this is what art can feel like.’ Not just the typical way I had been doing it my whole career.
“That’s when I got the bug. So to be honest, I’m just happy to be a part of such an audacious, special, and important movie.”
The adult themes of the film, which featured sex, violence and drugs, marked a sharp turn in Gomez’s career. Prior to that, she had been predominantly known for her role as Alex Russo in Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place.
She now serves as an executive producer on the Wizards of Waverly Place reboot, which aired last year. She and her original co-star David Henrie, who played her brother, delighted fans by making a guest appearance in the first and last episodes.
A release date for Spring Breakers 2 is yet to be announced.
