On today’s episode, I’m excited to be joined by screenwriter Eric Luke to talk about Joe Dante’s 1985 sci-fi adventure EXPLORERS – a film starring River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke, both in their mid-teens.
After the success of GREMLINS, EXPLORERS was expected to become Joe Dante’s next amazing success story. But unfortunately, the movie wasn’t finished properly, and after it was released to some very lukewarm reviews, it quickly disappeared – only to become a minor cult classic later on, thanks to its unique tone and humor. The film is about three youngsters who build themselves a home-made spaceship to travel to the stars – and it is impossible to fully discuss the film without spoiling the big surprise that awaits our heroes, so if you want to experience the full effect of EXPLORERS, please watch the movie before listening to this conversation! And if you’ve already seen the film, I’m quite sure you’ll agree that it’s definitely a unique experience.
So it’s wonderful to welcome the writer of EXPLORERS, Eric Luke, who’s going to talk about how this story came together, which influences he and director Joe Dante drew from, and how they developed the third act and the ending of the film. Eric and I also discuss some of the problems the production ran into, and some of the things which could have been different in the finished version if the post-production process hadn’t been cut short. And we’ll talk about the legacy of the film, and how it continues to attract new audiences who are drawn to the fact that it’s a sci-fi adventure unlike any other.
My interview with Eric Luke was conducted in connection with our German-language podcast Lichtspielplatz and the 2026 Science Meets Fiction festival, so if you speak German, please check out Lichtspielplatz episode #94, which features an in-depth discussion of EXPLORERS. You’ll also find episodes on other sci-fi movies and ideas as part of our Science Meets Fiction special.
So without any further ado, here’s screenwriter Eric Luke!
The mp3 file can be downloaded HERE.
Photos courtesy of Eric Luke
Editing: Christoph Schwarz
Music: Clark Kent
