The latest proposed sequel to a movie filmed in the St. Petersburg and Sarasota area has been announced, along with a star set to appear both in front of and behind the screen.
Bella Thorne will direct and star in "Spring Breakers 2," the actress announced during an interview on the popular podcast "Call Her Daddy."
Thorne also wrote the screenplay, which will follow "five girls entering the wildest party of their lives on spring break, only to realize they were never guests — just targets," according to a press release, and will produce it along with Chris and Roberta Hanley of Muse Productions, which produced the original "Spring Breakers."
“The original ‘Spring Breakers’ was an iconic cultural touchstone, and taking the reins as a filmmaker
is a dream project for me," Thorne said in a statement. "I’m so grateful to Chris and Roberta Hanley for trusting me with their world. I’ve always been drawn to stories that explore the unapologetic, unfiltered side of youth culture, and I can’t wait to deliver a wild, high-stakes thrill ride that honors the first film while forging its own distinct path.”
Released in theaters in 2013, "Spring Breakers" was directed by Harmony Korine and followed four college students (Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine) who go on spring break in St. Pete and cross paths with a local drug dealer and rapper (James Franco). Largely filmed in Pinellas County, the movie also shot scenes at New College of Florida and Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota.
A location is not set yet, according to a representative for Thorne, so it remains to be seen if the sequel will film in Florida as well. If it did, it would be a return to her home state for Thorne, who was born in Pembroke Pines.
Like the original movie's stars Gomez and Hudgens, Thorne rose to fame on a Disney Channel series — "Shake It Up" with Zendaya — before starring in films like "The Babysitter" and shows such as "Paradise City." She has also worked increasingly as a director in recent years, with Chris Hanley in a statement saying they invited Thorne to make her own "Spring Breakers" project after seeing an early cut of Thorne's upcoming debut feature "Color Your Hurt."
There have been multiple attempts to make a "Spring Breakers" sequel. A previously announced sequel to "Spring Breakers" titled "Salvation Mountain" will still move forward, according to a press release, though Thorne will no longer star in it. Shortly after the original's release, a sequel called "Spring Breakers: The Second Coming" directed by Jonas Åkerlund ("Spun") and written by Irvine Welsh ("Trainspotting") was announced, but never came to fruition.
Harmony Korine has since made other movies, although the Sunshine State has remained something of a muse for him. His 2019 Matthew McConaughey stoner comedy "The Beach Bum" and his 2023 experimental crime film "Aggro Dr1ft," co-starring rapper Travis Scott, were both shot in South Florida.
Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota-filmed ‘Spring Breakers’ is getting a new sequel
