Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is now over 30 years old, and in October, will be coming to Netflix. That means subscribers of the streaming service will get to enjoy all of Ferris’s classic shenanigans over and over again. But this got me thinking. Is there a chance that Ferris Bueller could make a comeback of sorts? I am not necessarily talking Matthew Broderick taking on the role again, as the actor is now 54. Instead, a new 20 something-year-old actor taking over the part in a remake of this classic John Hughes’ film.
Given Hollywood’s love for re-making classic films, it is not out of the realm of possibilities that we see someone other than Broderick donning Ferris’ classic robe before long. While there has been not talk about a revival of the film that I saw on the internet, given the long history of films that have been made several times, I could certainly see it happening in the not too distant future. Even if Hollywood did not want to re-make the film, someone will ultimately pitch the idea of doing a sequel of sorts, with Ferris’s son being the fun and energetic troublemaker who decides to take a day off from school. If that were to happen, let me be the first to say Broderick better get the chance to play the father version of Ferris, who would likely encourage his son to take a day off, without the mother’s knowledge.
But let’s get back on track now. What if they decided to reboot Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? Who would be given the chance to boost their acting career with a role as iconic as Ferris? Well, I have three candidates, all of whom have that Ferris charm, and most certainly the acting chops to make it worth wild to bring Ferris back to the big screen once again.
Evan Peters
If you are a fan of American Horror Story or either of the latest X-Men films, you most certainly know who Peters is. If you are not a fan of either of those, there is a chance this name may not ring any bells. If that is the case, jot his name down right now, because the 29-year-old actor is a star in the making. Now you may think 29 is too old to portray a high school kid. But let’s remember Alan Ruck, who played Ferris’s best friend Cameron Frye in the film, was 30 when the film was released. It all has to do with how old the actor looks, not necessarily how old they are.
And with Peters, he can certainly pass for much younger. He is charismatic, energetic and can easily play up a role of being an immature high school kid. His role as Quicksilver in the X-Men films proves he has some serious comedic chops, as he was the funniest part of the last two films (Days of Futures Past and Apocalypse). His delivery on jokes is phenomenal, and he is most definitely a show-stealer. In both of those X-Men films, Peters was given the best scene. Given his characters power was super speed, the entire world slowed down around him as he raced around to the sounds of a catchy song. Give Peters a scene to work with that involves music, and he will provide a performance that fans will not forget. That aspect can certainly be utilized in Ferris Bueller.
Then we take into account his roles in American Horror Story. Each season he gets to portray a new character. My personal favorite is Tate, from the Murder House season. Peters shows so much range within these characters, specifically Tate. He can go from serious, to funny to conniving in a matter of minutes. But one aspect that almost all characters on American Horror Story posses is the ability to lie. And we certainly know Ferris is a pretty darn good liar. So when combining aspects of Quicksilver and his American Horror Story counterparts, Peters certainly has everything he needs to pull of Ferris Bueller.
Ezra Miller
Now I am not very familiar with Ezra Miller’s work. But I have seen some short clips of him that make me believe he can pull off Ferris. Those clips are the ones released from Justice League, where Miller will be portraying Barry Allen, also known as the Flash. From those clips, Miller makes his character come across as the geeky, lonely guy who likes to spend time by himself and play with technology.
Well, Ferris certainly falls under the category of wanting to build contraptions and work with some types of technology, given his elaborate work done inside his house in case anyone showed up looking for him. While Ferris is not the prototypical geeky kid, he is no jock either. Him and Cameron are certainly on the weirder side of the spectrum when compared to their classmates. So I know Miller is capable of pulling that off. Ferris also seems to have a very small circle of friends, with Cameron and Sloan being the only two classmates whom seem to have any importance to him. Basically what I am getting at is Barry Allen and Ferris Bueller certainly have some similarities, and that will only benefit Miller if he landed this role. I know I am sold on Barry being one of the best parts of Justice League, and certainly look forward to seeing more of Miller in films to come.
Finally let’s factor in his looks and age. At 23, Miller is certainly young enough to pull off a high school kid. Broderick was 24 upon the films release. And Miller looks fairly young, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given his age. He also has the black hair like Broderick, and of the three on this list, looks mostly like the Ferris we have all come to know and love. Looking like Broderick is not a must for a new version of the film but certainly, does not hurt.
Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Monaghan is a personal favorite of mine, and I can’t help but think this role could be exactly what he needs to become a household name. Right now, he is best known for his role of Ian Gallagher on Showtime’s Shameless (Great show if you’ve never seen it). As Ian, Monaghan portrays a very damaged character who is bipolar, gay and a part of one of the most messed up families you have ever seen. Within this single role, Monaghan showcases his acting range, as he is asked to do so much. One week he is the happiest guy around, while the next week he is paranoid and holding knives to people’s throats. Also, on a small stint on Fox’s Gotham, he has played Jerome, a psychotic killer who has murdered both of his parents, and many others. Both roles allow Monaghan to showcase some serious energy, as well as his ability to be a very convincing liar.
As I mentioned earlier, lying is in Ferris’s blood. He is also a very upbeat person, which Monaghan exemplifies in both of the roles mentioned above. Sure sometimes that energy and upbeat nature are for mischievous reasons, especially as Jerome, but Ferris is his kind of mischievous. He also has the comedy side of things down as well. The bottom line here is Monaghan can take on any role he is given, and it just so happens the character of Ferris possesses traits we know he excels at showcasing.
He is also only 23, like Miller, and is the youngest looking of the three actors mentioned here. Given there are no current rumors of an actual re-boot happening, this benefits Monaghan the most. Even if the film did not take place for another three years, he would still only be 26, and almost certainly still have that high school look going for him. Monaghan is no stranger to television or film, as he has appeared in both in his young career. Right now he is dominating things on the small screen, and just needs one leading role in a film to catapult him into movies for good. He could take the role of Ferris and turn it into a memorable performance. One that would cement him as one of the greatest young actors today.
So, if they do re-make Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, who do you want to see play, Ferris? Would you like to see any of the three names mentioned here? Or are there other candidates who could lay claim to the part? Tell us in the comments!