Robin Williams

Mrs. Doubtfire 2 Is Impossible Without Robin Williams, Says Director

Mrs. Doubtfire director, Chris Columbus, has said that a sequel to the 1993 classic would be “impossible” without Robin Williams. Mrs. Doubtfire marked Columbus’ first collaboration with Williams in what turned out to be a Golden Globe-winning role for the legendary comedian and actor. They went on to work together again for the 1995 rom-com Nine Months followed by the 1999 sci-fi film Bicentennial Man. However, none of their later collaborations reached the same level of popularity as Mrs. Doubtfire which is now labelled by many as one of the best comedy films of all time.

Robin Williams starred in the lead role as Daniel Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire. He was joined by the former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, Sally Fields (The Amazing Spider-Man, Forrest Gump), Harvey Fierstein, and Robert Prosky. Mrs. Doubtfire is based on the 1987 novel Alias Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. The story is set in San Francisco and revolves around a recently divorced voice actor who dresses up as a female housekeeper to spend more time with his children.

Now, while making a brief appearance at the SF Film Awards in San Francisco, Chris Columbus spoke to SFGATE about the initial plans for a Mrs. Doubtfire 2 that never came to fruition and how it would be “impossible” to go ahead without Robin Williams. Columbus admitted that he took notice of the musical adaptation of the film currently playing on Broadway in New York. He mentioned that while the actor playing Williams’ role may be delivering “phenomenal” performances, “he’s no Robin.” Read what he had to say below:

“It’s impossible. It’s just impossible. I just was reading a lot of reviews, ironically, today and about the Broadway show (which opened in New York this week). And this guy who’s playing him is supposedly very energetic and phenomenal. But he’s no Robin. Robin was one-of-a-kind.”

There were multiple attempts to make Mrs. Doubtfire 2 happen, with early development dating as far back as 2001 before the plans were scrapped in 2006 due to issues with the script. Talks for a sequel had once again gathered steam in early 2014. Columbus mentioned that the last time he had met the charismatic actor and his “close friend” was to discuss the sequel, stating that they had “a great script.” The long-awaited project was officially announced to be in the works with Williams and Columbus returning but was eventually cancelled due to the actor’s untimely ԁеаtһ in August 2014.

Mrs. Doubtfire is one of many family-friendly classics that Chris Columbus is best known for directing, with the likes of the first two films in the Home Alone and Harry Potter franchises under his belt. Few would disagree with the American filmmaker’s comments on Robin Williams as it would be hard to imagine the sequel without the celebrated actor. Williams was always known to make the roles he played his own, as he perfectly embodied the spirit of his characters. While it doesn’t look like a sequel or even a reboot to Mrs. Doubtfire is happening anytime soon, audiences can relive the much-loved film on Disney+.

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