Kindergarten Cop debuted in theaters 30 years ago yesterday and Arnold Schwarzenegger reunited with some of his younger castmates, who are now all grown up, for a special Zoom 30th anniversary chat about the making of the family comedy.
The best part of the 30th-anniversary discussion is that Schwarzenegger actually surprised his young co-stars with his appearance during the 30-year virtual reunion. Christian Cousins (Dominic), Brian Wagner (Wiliam), Mike Hughes (Joseph), Krystle and Tiffany Mataras (Tina and Rina), and Adam Wylie (Larry), all got together to talk all things Kindergarten Cop and they can be seen having a great time on video when Schwarzenegger surprises them all at around the 30-minute mark. When Arnold made his appearance, Hughes exclaimed "That is the coolest surprise, I would never have expected this. It's really good to hear you." You can check out the virtual reunion below!
Schwarzenegger went on to talk up the young cast by giving them most of the credit for why the film was so successful. The actor told the cast "Without any doubt, it was the performance of you kids that really made this movie. That's what made it endearing, that's what made it successful, and people wanted to watch it over and over again."
In Kindergarten Cop, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as an undercover police officer posing as a kindergarten teacher to catch a dangerous criminal. While he starts out as pretty hardened, he eventually strikes up a good relationship with the kids and becomes a pretty natural teacher, even picking up a love interest in the process. His cover is blown as he finds his intended target, but he ends up leaving police work behind to become a full-time kindergarten teacher. The film was a departure for Schwarzenegger at the time as it played more toward his comedic sensibilities rather than the action films that made him star but the movie became extremely successful. By the end of its run, the film grossed $91.4 million at the domestic box office and $202 million worldwide.
Schwarzenegger also discussed the animated Kindergarten Cop sequel, titled Superhero Kindergarten. Stan Lee put the project into development before his death in 2018 and it will feature all the kids, only this time they'll have superpowers. The sequel is set to come out in 2021. Before signing off, even though this anniversary had to be virtual due to the pandemic, Schwarzenegger offered up a real reunion party after we're in the clear from COVID. The actor said "Well have it at my house, we'll get together and have a part and get the gossip going. I want all the details about how you got here from 30 years ago. I'm proud of all of you, so keep up the good work." I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that reunion.
Do YOU have fond memories of Kindergarten Cop?