Recasting Kiefer Sutherland, The Coreys, And More Of The Lost Boys In 2026
Lauren Garafano is a writer, editor, and digital media professional with a passion for pop culture, entertainment, beauty, and internet trends. She previously worked at BuzzFeed, creating content spanning celebrity news, television, and lifestyle, that garnered hundreds of thousands of views. She loves exploring the latest pop culture obsessions, beauty trends, and entertainment news to create engaging, relatable content that connects with readers.
With a background in digital journalism, Lauren specializes in features, news, reviews, explainers, listicles, SEO-driven content, and social media storytelling. She enjoys identifying emerging trends, crafting compelling headlines, and finding fresh angles on the topics audiences can’t stop talking about. Her experience also includes short-form video production, creative content development, and using audience analytics to inform editorial strategy.
Outside of writing, Lauren is passionate about theater and the performing arts, often spending her free time singing, dancing, performing, or working behind the scenes on community theater productions. She’s also an avid consumer of pop culture, beauty trends, and all things television, and she firmly believes there’s always another great story to uncover.
Few horror comedies have reached the same kind of cult status as The Lost Boys. With its supernatural thrills, studded leather jackets, sexy vampires, and perfect hair, the 1987 film claimed its space as a defining entry into the genre. Even if it was a little too “out there” for it’s time. But times have changed, and popular culture has become edgier and grittier. So, if Santa Clara’s infamous vampire crew returned to the big screen today, it could have an even bigger impact on mainstream media.
With the story already adapted into a hit Broadway musical, it’s only fair to assume that a film remake (or dare I say, miniseries) comes next. A modern reimagining would be the best way to preserve the best parts of the original while adding a new perspective to its characters without losing its dark and seductive charm. By gender swapping an Emerson sibling and leaning into the vampires’ innate gender fluidity, The Lost Boys would cater to an entirely new generation of misfits.
Xolo Maridueña as Michael Emerson
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Xolo Maridueña would be an ideal choice for Michael. Most recently, he starred in Cobra Kai and Blue Beetle — playing a young adult caught between the expectations placed on him and the people they want to become. And that’s Michael Emerson at his core.
Yes, Michael makes bad decisions and gets wrapped up in chaos, but he needs to be more than just a rebellious teenager. He has an innate curiosity, making his involvement with the vampires a much more gradual emotional progression. Marideuña would be great at adding those layers (and more) to Michael while being a character that viewers can see themselves in and root for.
Justina Machado as Lucy Emerson
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Best known for her work on One Day at a Time and Six Feet Under, Justina Machado has a natural talent for making her characters feel grounded and authentic while balancing humor with vulnerability. As a single mother trying to give her children a fresh start in Santa Carla, Lucy needs an actor who can bring both warmth and emotional depth to the role. Machado is more than capable of delivering both, and then some.
Lucy plays an extremely important role in her kids’ lives, so having a powerhouse actor like Machado would give Lucy even more agency in this reimagining. Rather than simply serving as the mother who got caught up in her children’s supernatural adventure, Lucy could feel like a fully realized character on her own emotional journey. Machado’s natural chemistry with her costars is another major plus, helping the Emerson family dynamic feel real.
Xochitl Gomez as Samantha “Sam” Emerson
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Reimagining Sam as a teenage girl opens a door for a fresh take on the film’s most entertaining character, and Xochitl Gomez is the perfect person to do it. Best known for her performances in The Baby-Sitters Club and the MCU, Gomez would bring her quick wit, confidence, and energetic presence to this version of Sam. One of Gomez’s strengths is being able to tap into a character’s vulnerability while still being outspoken and extroverted.
In this version of The Lost Boys, Sam would still be the younger sibling who realizes something is very wrong before the surrounding adults fully understand the danger. Gomez would give Sam a sharper and more contemporary sense of humor while staying true to her top priority, protecting Michael. She’d also become an active participant in uncovering the truth about Santa Clara’s vampire gang.
Cailee Spaeny as Star
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Cailee Spaeny would be a wonderful contrast to Marideuña’s Michael. Star has a mysteriously captivating realness to her, as a young woman caught between humans and vampires. As shown in her past projects like Priscilla, Beef, and Civil War, Spaeny has mastered the art of communicating complicated emotions subtly through her facial expressions and mannerisms. With a character, like Star, whose allegiance isn’t immediately clear, this approach to acting would work wonders.
The perfect Star should be someone that Michael can’t totally figure out. She’s connected to the supernatural world, but not entirely defined by it. Meanwhile, her budding relationship with Michael adds emotional tension to the story.
Aesthetically, Spaeny’s star offers a stark difference to Santa Carla’s neon lights and shadowy boardwalk. Her Star would be almost dreamlike and ethereal while conserving her character’s humanity.
Drew Starkey as David
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Drew Starkey is best known for his portrayal as Rafe Cameron on Outer Banks and has demonstrated his ability to play a charming and confident character who quickly turns volatile. This is essential for David, who leads the vampire gang. He must be played as someone endearing and magnetic before turning into someone genuinely terrifying.
Starkey could portray a David who looks effortlessly cool with his glam-rock aesthetic, demanding the attention of many. He knows exactly how to get what he wants and how to make other people feel seen, and this is where Starkey’s inner Rafe Cameron comes in. David’s power to manipulate others and exploit them will feel more dangerous than ever.
Mason Gooding as Paul
Mason Gooding’s natural charisma is off the charts, making him a great candidate for Paul. As one of the more playful members of the vampire pack, Paul needs an actor who can seamlessly weave through comedy and drama. He’s endearing, but never harmless.
In projects like Scream, Booksmart, and Love, Victor, Gooding has proven his versatility as a charmer and a villain — several times in the same project. His superpower is being able to flip the audience’s perspective with a quick grin or a wink, changing his character’s entire dynamic.
He has the opportunity to make the gang feel more well-rounded, and not just as one-sided villains.
Emma D’Arcy as Marko
Reimagining Marko as a more androgynous person like Emma D’Arcy, would add a striking contrast in the vampire gang alone. The original film draws so much of its appeal by presenting the gang as misfits. Not only are they supernatural, but their sense of style and aesthetic exists outside the mainstream culture. By adding an actor who transcends the gender binary, the group becomes even more appealing to someone, like Michael, looking for a new world to belong to.
This version of Marko is the visual embodiment of the vampires’ hypnotic qualities. They are beautiful, unpredictable, and so strikingly inhuman that it’s impossible to look away.
D’Arcy is another actor who thrives on subtlety. Their portrayal of Marko would be mesmerizing, providing a quiet intensity much different to Starkey and Gooding’s roles.
D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Dwayne
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Dwayne is the quiet observer of the group. He’s not theatrical, talkative, or demanding like the rest of his gang, but his power remains strong. D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, best known for Reservation Dogs and Warfare, has shown his ability to communicate emotion and personality without relying on too much dialogue.
Dwayne is understated in a way where viewers can tell exactly who he is based on the way he carries himself. He’s not someone to be underestimated, by any means. And Woon-A-Tai could lean into Dwayne’s restraint without turning him one-dimensional.
His addition also provides balance to the vampire gang. Starkey’s David dominates through manipulation and charm, Gooding’s Paul through playful confidence, and D’Arcy’s Marko through their visual aesthetics. Together, the group creates an ensemble that feels cohesive without any of the vampires seeming interchangable.
Giancarlo Esposito as Max
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Giancarlo Esposito has built a reputation for playing controlled and intelligent characters who become deeply terrifying without ever having to raise their voices. That makes him a particularly smart choice for Max, a character who the audience must trust wholeheartedly before discovering the truth.
Max’s relationship with Lucy also adds to the emotional stakes of the story. And Esposito’s ability to shift between allure and menace would make for a chilling twist. Once the audience learns the truth about Santa Carla’s supernatural world, everyone they knew about Max is thrown into question.
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Edgar Frog
Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s infectious sense of humor and confidence would bring a refreshing new look to Edgar, one half of Santa Carla’s vampire-hunting duo. Best known for starring on Never Have I Ever, Ramakrishnan is no stranger to a goofy, outspoken, opinionated character.
Skyler Gisondo as Alan Frog
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Finally, Skyler Gisondo would round out the cast as Alan Frog. With roles in projects like Booksmart, The Righteous Gemstones, and Primetime, Gisondo knows exactly how to blend dry humor and nervous energy while appearing genuinely likable. Side-by-side with Ramakrishnan, their comedic chops create a nice balance with The Lost Boys’ darker supernatural side.
The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys follows a family that moves to Santa Carla, where they encounter a group of vampires. Two brothers, along with the eccentric Frog brothers, attempt to save the town and themselves from the lurking undead menace.
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