With ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ Rumored To Be Struggling, Lauren Graham’s Schedule Could Open Up for a Possible ‘Gilmore Girls’ Revival
Streaming service providers have experienced some serious shakeups in recent months. Disney+ appears to be no different. The ousting of a top executive, Peter Rice, hasn’t led to any direct changes to the provider’s catalog just yet. Still, it easily could. According to several sources, Rice’s questionable decision-making ultimately led to Disney and Rice parting ways. The decision to renew The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers for a second season has been used as an example of that. That, coupled with the loss of one of the show’s major stars, leads industry insiders to believe season 2 of the remake will be the last. If that’s the case, Lauren Graham, who plays Alex Morrow in The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, might be the next puzzle piece to fall into place for a second Gilmore Girls revival on Netflix.
‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ is likely facing an uphill battle for season 3
Disney renewed The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers for a second season in August 2021. That decision, made by Rice, might have been part of the reason he was ousted, rather aggressively, from his job. An insider who spoke with the Wall Street Journal alleges that Rice’s decision to renew the show, despite middling hours streamed, made top executives lose confidence in him. The same source told the publication that Rice had good reasons for renewing the series. In short, the source, who was not named, suggested Rice only continued the series, and another struggling show, because the reviews were mostly good, and the pandemic had made it difficult to develop new content.
Rice is now out, and it’s possible The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers could go with him. Rice’s ousting isn’t the only problem the show is facing, though. Emilio Estevez, who reprised his role as Gordon Bombay in the Disney+ original, opted not to return for the show’s second season.
Estevez said a contract dispute forced him to pack up his hockey skates for the last time, despite rumors that a vaccination policy might have influenced his decision. According to Deadline, Estevez released a lengthy statement outlining his battle with coronavirus (COVID-19). He said he was not against vaccination and left the series because of an old-fashioned contract dispute. The statement noted that he was disappointed not to be joining the cast for season 2 of the show.
Season 2 of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers premieres on September 28. Disney has not announced additional seasons.
Would Lauren Graham return for a second ‘Gilmore Girls’ revival?
Lauren Graham has always been open to the idea of reprising her role as Lorelai Gilmore. More than once, Graham stated that she’d happily jump back into Stars Hollow. During a SiriusXM interview, she revealed that she has a clause written into all of her contracts that allows her to return to Gilmore Girls if more episodes are ever ordered.
Graham also recently had to apologize for posting a clip to her Twitter account that had fans sure she was announcing another revival season. Graham guaranteed her followers that that wasn’t her intention, but she hardly seemed against the idea.
Several other co-stars might have open schedules, too
Assuming the rumors that The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers could end after season 2 are true, Graham’s schedule would seem open enough to entertain a second Netflix revival of the show that made her famous. She isn’t the only important puzzle piece, though. Several other key elements of the series have also found themselves with some free time.
Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show’s famous showrunner, recently said that the timing just hadn’t worked out yet for a second Gilmore Girls revival. Admittedly, Sherman-Palladino has been a bit busy with the award-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. That series is wrapping up after five illustrious seasons. The fifth and final season began filming in July.
Milo Ventimiglia is famous for playing Jack in This is Us until its series finale in May. Before that, he was Jess Mariano on Gilmore Girls. While Ventimiglia has other projects in the works, he’s always been open about his desire to work with Sherman-Palladino more.
Alexis Bledel has been cagey about her interest in returning to Gilmore Girls, but her schedule recently calmed down, too. Bledel decided to step back from The Handmaid’s Tale. She announced her sudden departure from the series in May.
Keiko Agena, Scott Patterson, Yanic Truesdale, and Kelly Bishop have all expressed interest in returning to Stars Hollow once more, too. Bishop, who played Emily Gilmore, recently revealed that she wasn’t sure she’d get the chance to play Emily again. She was certainly open to the idea, though.
The last puzzle piece would seem to be Matt Czuchry, who is currently working on The Resident. Fox renewed the show for a sixth season in May. Still, Czuchry has expressed an interest in possibly returning to play Logan Huntzberger one more time.
