Who’s ready for detention? Universal Pictures is celebrating the 40th anniversary of John Hughes’ coming-of-age masterpiece The Breakfast Club with a special two-day theatrical engagement on September 7 and 10. The milestone re-release invites audiences nationwide to revisit one of the most enduring teen films of all time, just in time for the back-to-school season.
First released in February 1985, The Breakfast Club redefined the teen genre by portraying adolescence with raw honesty and emotional depth. Set in a suburban Chicago high school, the film brings together five students from vastly different social groups — Claire the princess (Molly Ringwald), Andrew the athlete (Emilio Estevez), Brian the brain (Anthony Michael Hall), Allison the basket case (Ally Sheedy) and John the criminal (Judd Nelson) break through their social barriers and reveal the private struggles beneath their public identities.
Under the wary eye of Vice Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) —and the side-eye observations of custodian Carl (John Kapelos)—they begin as strangers and leave with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other.
Written and directed by Hughes, the $1 million indie production became a cultural juggernaut, grossing big at the box office while striking a generational nerve. The film launched the “Brat Pack” era, cemented Hughes as a voice of American youth, and introduced anthems like Simple Minds’ Don’t You (Forget About Me) into the pop culture canon. Annie Leibovitz’s iconic cast photo and countless quotable lines further fueled its legacy. Watch the original trailer below:
“The Breakfast Club is one of the great films about identity, alienation, and connection,” said Jim Orr, President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution for Universal Pictures. “Its honesty, humor, and humanity continue to resonate with audiences of all ages. We’re honored to bring it back to theaters so a new generation can experience its power on the big screen.”
Hughes went on to become one of the most prolific and influential filmmakers of the 1980s and 1990s. His body of work includes Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Pretty in Pink and Home Alone. Yet it was The Breakfast Club that most powerfully captured his gift for writing characters who felt flawed, familiar and human. No other filmmaker of his era gave teenagers such permission to speak or allowed silence to carry so much emotional weight.
The film’s influence can be seen in the decades of storytelling that followed, from Boyz n the Hood and Dazed and Confused to Eighth Grade, Lady Bird and Freaks and Geeks. It helped reshape how young people were portrayed in film and television, proving that stories about adolescence could carry the same nuance and complexity as any adult drama.
In Chicago, its legacy is especially profound — a hometown story shot in Illinois that turned suburban hallways into a universal stage.
The 40th anniversary re-release follows a successful 30th anniversary presentation in 2015, when a newly remastered edition played in more than 400 theaters across North America following its premiere at South by Southwest.
That same year, Entertainment Weekly named The Breakfast Club the number one high school film of all time. In 2016, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, citing its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. Earlier this year, the film’s cast reunited at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo for a panel reflecting on the making of the film and its lasting impact.
Advance tickets are available now and can be purchased here.
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