11 must-see film and TV Zoom reunions: From 'Back to the Future' to 'The Goonies' and 'Lord of the Rings'

The stars of some of the biggest films and TV shows of the past few decades reunited during the pandemic for table reads and reminiscing

Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood and more stars from 'Lord of the Rings' came together for a long overdue Zoom reunion. YouTube
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While we can all agree that 2020 has been a far from vintage year, it has given us one good thing, apart from a renewed appreciation of sweatpants: the Zoom reunion.

The casts of many favourite TV shows and films have reunited throughout the year to give fans a treat and much-needed boost, and The Goonies is just the latest in a long line of movies to get the trip down memory lane treatment.

From Sir Ian McKellen spilling insider Lord of the Rings secrets, to an update on what the staff of fictional fashion magazine Blush have been up to from the show Just Shoot Me!, the reunions have certainly been fruitful. In the past few months, fans have been able to hear the likes of Demi Lovato, Michael J Fox, Tom Hanks and Sigourney Weaver answer questions about their fan-favourite characters.

Enjoy 10 more funny and emotional reunions here: 

1. 'High School Musical'

Some of the cast of the beloved 2006 film came together to perform the song you can't even pretend you don't know the words to: We're All in This Together. Stars including Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale took time out to sing and dance around their homes in a reunion singalong that is pure joy, despite the absence of Zac Efron.

2. 'Splash'

If you're a fan of comic actor Josh Gad's Reunited Apart series, you would have come across this fun reunion, which brought together the cast of 1984's Splash. Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and Eugene Levy all reminisce about the '80s favourite, as well as pay tribute to the late, great John Candy. Plus, director Ron Howard and writer Brian Grazer both show up to give some insights into how the film got cast and made.

3. 'Community'

As you'd expect, there are laughs aplenty in this virtual table read for the show which ran for six seasons. All the main cast members make an appearance, with the exception of Chevy Chase who famously fell out with the show's creator Dan Harmon. Coming together to read the episode Cooperative Calligraphy from season two are the study group themselves: Joel McHale, Donald Glover, Danny Pudi, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Ken Jeong and Yvette Nicole Brown, along with Jim Rash as Dean Pelton and The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal standing in for Walton Goggins's character, Mr Stone.

4. 'The Nanny'

The show, which ran from 1993 to 1999, now enjoys cult must-watch status. It starred Fran Drescher as the eponymous nanny, Fran Fine, who after being fired from her job as a cosmetics saleswoman ends up as nanny to the three children of wealthy English widower, Maxwell Sheffield. With Daniel Davis rounding out the cast as snooty butler, Niles, and Lauren Lane as Maxwell’s scheming business partner CC Babcock, the table read is a sweet stroll down memory lane.

5. 'Ghostbusters'

Hats off once more to Gad, who is fast becoming the person to know in Hollywood. The actor gathered the cast of 1984 film Ghostbusters, with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson all appearing, as well as Annie Potts who played Janine Melnitz, and Dana Barrett herself, played by Sigourney Weaver. Even if you're not a fan of the film (and if you're not, how dare you), you can't help but be charmed by the insider titbits.

6. 'Just Shoot Me'

If you wondered what's been going on at the fictional Blush magazine since we last wandered into their offices back in 2003, then wonder no more. The cast of the TV show set at a high fashion magazine reunited for a catch-up and Q&A. Laura San Giacomo, Wendie Malick, David Spade and George Segal were all on hand to reminisce about the fun show and answer some burning questions, including which episode is their favourite.

7. 'Lord of the Rings'

Billed as the One Zoom To Rule Them All, Gad's Reunited Apart brings a host of stars from the acclaimed trilogy together. Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan come together to discuss the Oscar-winning films. After that, the stars appear thick and fast, with Sir Ian McKellen, director Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis, Sean Bean, Liv Tyler, Karl Urban, John Rhys-Davies and Viggo Mortensen all popping up. So if you've ever wanted to see the matching tattoos the cast all got together, tune in.

8. 'Sonny With a Chance'

If this hit Disney show played a big part in your childhood, it's time to catch up on what Sonny, Tawni, Chad and Nico are up to now. Famously the show which launched Demi Lovato, the actress and singer is centre stage for the reunion in which they not only offers insights into the show, but also share what it felt like to be child actors thrust into the spotlight.

9. 'Hamilton'

It took the organisational skills of actor John Krasinski, for his hit online show Some Good News, to reunite the main stars of one of the most successful theatrical productions of all time. Lin-Manuel Miranda and the stars of the show he both wrote and starred in, gathered to surprise a little girl who had missed out on seeing it at the theatre owing to the pandemic by singing Alexander Hamilton, her favourite song from the show.

10. 'Back to the Future'

Doc Brown and Marty McFly (minus the Delorean) reunite for this long-overdue chat about the beloved 1985 time travel film. Expect to have an, “Is anyone chopping onions?” moment when Lea Thompson pops up to share her memories of the film.

"I didn't have any idea back then that in 2020 people would still want to talk about it," admits Thompson, who played Marty's mother in the movie. Director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale also appear, as does the original hoverboard Marty rode in the sequel.

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Read more:

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