The defense is wrong — but the timing could be right.
Ralph Macchio, one of the stars of “My Cousin Vinny,” said that a follow-up to the beloved 1992 comedy movie has been in discussion.
“Yeah, I’ve had conversations with other writers about that,” the 63-year-old “Cobra Kai” actor told People.
“That one’s a beloved piece,” Macchio added on the red carpet of the Dolby Theater in Hollywood during PaleyFest. “It’s about finding the smart angle in.”
In the film, Macchio plays Bill Gambini, a New Yorker going to college in Alabama who is wrongfully charged with murder. So, his cousin Vinny, a lawyer who’s never won a case, and Vinny’s no-nonsense fiancee Mona Lisa (Marisa Tomei) drive down south to help him.
One hiccup for making a next chapter is original star Pesci, 83, who retired from acting in 1999. He’s returned to the screen three times since — in 2010’s “Love Ranch,” 2019’s “The Irishman” and 2023’s “Day of the Fight.” But Pesci’s acting gigs are rare.
“He could FaceTime it in here,” Macchio said of the “Goodfellas” Oscar winner.
Tomei, 60, still has a very active career, though, having made a film or more nearly every year since “My Cousin Vinny” hit theaters.
Back then, at 27 years old, she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress — beating out Vanessa Redgrave, Joan Plowright, Judy Davis and Miranda Richardson. Recently, she’s played Aunt May in five Spider-Man / Marvel Cinematic Universe films, opposite Tom Holland.
Macchio meanwhile has been in the business of reboots. “Cobra Kai,” a Netflix “Karate Kid” spinoff that he starred on for six years, was a surprise hit for the streamer. Its final season ended in February.
On the red carpet, the actor paid tribute to his “Karate Kid” co-star, Pat Morita, who died in 2005.
“I think we’ve respectfully kept the legacy alive and always paid homage to his character because honestly, and I’ve said it probably a million times, we’re not here today without him,” he said of the Mr. Miyagi actor. “We’re not.”
