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MAJOR LEAGUE is still one of my favorite “guilty pleasure” sports movies of all time. I actually just watched it a week or so ago… on basic cable… edited all to hell. It has a great cast, some genuinely funny moments, and enough serious sports stuff in it to please the most passionate baseball fans. The sequels failed to capture the magic or charm of the first film, but there’s no denying the enduring fandom the first movie had. Last year, Bob Uecker (who played the commentator in the first movie) made an announcement during a sports game that a new MAJOR LEAGUE film was in the works. Well this week Moviehole talked to David S.Ward, the writer and director of the original movie, who backed up Uecker’s comments and confirmed there is in fact a new film in the works which would reunite the original cast. The third film to carry the MAJOR LEAGUE title (MAJOR LEAGUE: BACK TO THE MINORS) had no involvement from Ward.
“We’re actually talking about doing one right now. I’ve written, what I see, as Major League 3. We’re putting that together as we speak – in fact, next week I’m off to talk to James Robinson at Morgan Creek about it.”
“It’s 20 years later, and Wild Thing comes out of retirement to work with this 19-year-old player”, Ward says of the storyline. “We’ve actually got three new characters in the new film. And if the new film is popular, they could carry the franchise on”
Moviehole notes that Ward has so far only spoken with Sheen about it, but hopes to get Tom Berenger, Corbin Bernsen, and even Wesley Snipes to return. And before you go thinking that Ward only has the MAJOR LEAGUE franchise under his belt, you should note he worked on much bigger films like SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and THE STING. It appears as if Sheen may be close to a done deal based on the quotes from Ward.
“He’s excited to do it if and when it happens”, says Ward. “But he can’t shoot it this year, because he’s back doing Two-and-a-Half Men, but we could potentially shoot it next year – in his hiatus from the show”
In this day of revisiting old but beloved franchises, I’m all for the idea of seeing these characters back together. This may also be a good opportunity for Sheen and Berenger to make appropriate leading role comebacks on the big screen. And Corbin Bernsen and Wesley Snipes could probably use the work as well. With Ward at the helm, I’m on board. What do you think?
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
