Anthony Michael Hall To Host 'Breakfast Club' Screening At Tivoli

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — For Anthony Michael Hall, coming to the Chicago area to film a movie about a group of high school kids is like coming full circle. Hall, who got his start in John Hughes' iconic teen films, will host a showing Monday of "The Breakfast Club," along with a Q&A session and after-party at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove.

"Chicago is so important to me because of John Hughes," Hall, 53, told Patch on Monday as he fondly recalled spending weekends in Chicago with Hughes and "Breakfast Club" co-star Molly Ringwald, visiting record stores and blues clubs such as Kingston Mines.

Hughes was "really like my best friend as a kid," Hall said.

Hall couldn't help but point out similarities between Hughes, "The Breakfast Club" and his current project, "The Class," which is being filmed at Elmhurst University. Hall, one of the new film's producers, called "The Class" an "homage to 'The Breakfast Club'" and a "modern-day retelling for Generation Z."

Hall played the nerdy Brian Johnson in "The Breakfast Club," which was filmed in Des Plaines. In "The Class," he takes on the role of the "cynical" assistant principal to a group of six students who wind up stuck at school together one Saturday afternoon.

If that sounds familiar, it's no coincidence. Hall said "The Class" draws inspiration from "The Breakfast Club," but with a diverse cast of young actors including Hannah Kepple of "Cobra Kai," Lyric Ross from "This Is Us" and breakout actor Michael Sebastian.

Debbie Gibson plays an inspiring drama teacher in the film, which is written and directed by Elmhurst native Nicholas Celozzi.

Hall told Patch the similarities between Celozzi and Hughes are hard to ignore. After watching Celozzi with the young actors, Hall says he mused, "This is how John Hughes worked. He had no ego. He was super chill on the set."

Hall said Celozzi is really "on [the] level" with the close-knit cast.

Praising Celozzi's script, Hall called the narrative, "pretty heavy compared to the movie we made 35 years ago."

The zeitgeist has also changed since "The Breakfast Club" came out in 1985. Hall said this is evident in the way the young cast is "evolved."

“This generation is very inclusive, very intelligent," Hall told Patch. "They really embrace each other's [culture] and diversity."

Another noticeable difference between "The Breakfast Club" generation and Generation Z is the current generation's affinity for a certain social media site.

Hall said this cast is posting "on the 'gram" in between takes to share their enthusiasm for the film, which will be in production through Aug. 16.

In the meantime, Hall told Patch he wanted a way to bring the two generations together, celebrate the cast and crew and "pay tribute to John Hughes," who died in 2009.

Thus, Hall is bringing the cast of "The Class" to a red carpet screening of "The Breakfast Club" at the Tivoli Theatre. The showing will include a meet-and-greet with Hall, along with an after-party at Tivoli Bowl.

Naturally, 1980s-themed costumes are highly encouraged for the entire event.

Tickets for A Night with Anthony Michael Hall are available on the Classic Cinemas website. Pricing is as follows:

• $40 for general admission at 7:30 p.m., which includes the on-stage Q&A session with Anthony Michael Hall and the screening of "The Breakfast Club."
• $100 for VIP admission at 5 p.m., which includes a meet-and-greet photo opportunity, a signed picture, admission to the on-stage Q&A session with Anthony Michael Hall and the screening of "The Breakfast Club."
• $250 for After-Party VIP admission at 6 p.m., which includes a meet-and-greet photo opportunity, a signed picture, admission to the on-stage Q&A session with Anthony Michael Hall and the screening of "The Breakfast Club," along with entry to an after-party at Tivoli Bowl with Hall and friends

A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit Dan Cantillon. In 2019, Cantillon was diagnosed with multiple system atrophy, a neurological disorder that affects breathing, swallowing, muscle rigidity and balance. Hall knows Cantillon through Sean Finnegan, a friend of his who lives in Chicago's suburbs.

Hall's return to Chicago has made him reflect on his long career, which took root in the area with Hughes' films. Formerly cast as the quintessential nerdy kid, Hall is now settling into more roles such as the assistant principal in "The Class," something he said he thinks comes with age in acting. He also has a recurring role as a guidance counselor in "The Goldbergs" and recently starred in "War Machine" with Brad Pitt.

This October, fans can catch Hall with Jamie Lee Curtis in "Halloween Kills," the most recent installment in the "Halloween" movie series.

After his four decades in film, Hall seemed humble about "The Class" and eager to pass the torch to its up-and-coming cast of actors. He said, "I hate to use the word 'star' because I just don't think that way.”

He added that he's happy to be doing what he's doing. Hall said, "I'm just grateful to still be chipping away at this."