'80s Stars Christopher Atkins & Kristy McNichol Have Sweet Reunion To Celebrate Cult Classic Film

Although actual time travel hasn't happened, we can rely on classic movies to mentally transport us to the past. In May 2026, Christopher Atkins and Kristy McNichol got to blast back to 1982 when they attended a screening and Q&A of "The Pirate Movie" in Los Angeles, California. The two castmates showed off their tight relationship in some sweet photos that Atkins posted on Instagram. In the caption, he spoke about how fun the event was: "What a GREAT crowd! The energy was electric!"

Atkins' big acting break came in 1980, when he starred with Brooke Shields in "The Blue Lagoon." In contrast, McNichol was an Emmy winner with almost a decade's worth of experience, including a starring role as Buddy Lawrence on the late-1970s series "Family." Although the two actors play love interests in "The Pirate Movie," Atkins was dating Lori Loughlin around this time.

Despite getting scathing criticism from The New York Times, the film was adored by young audiences. "I rented it so much the video store told my mom I could just have it lol," one Instagram poster reminisced. "I would reenact the scenes in my backyard." Since the movie was meant to be a modern take on the musical "The Pirates of Penzance," it also featured an epic, quintessentially '80s-style soundtrack of synth soft rock. "I did the dishes everyday for 2 weeks just so my dad would buy me the record," recalled another fan. "I even dressed up as Kristy for Halloween."

Not long after "The Pirate Movie," Christopher Atkins scored a recurring role as Peter Richards on the hit nighttime soap "Dallas." He's continued working steadily as an actor over the decades, occasionally branching out into writing and producing. In the late 1980s, Kristy McNichol was cast in the hugely successful TV series "Empty Nest." However, Kristy not only didn't finish the run, but with the exception of some voice acting, the sitcom star disappeared from Hollywood and pivoted to a career as an acting teacher.

Given Kristy's switch in professions, people were extra excited to see her alongside Atkins at the special screening of "The Pirate Movie." "Oh my God there she is," gushed one Instagram fan. "I feel like I've seen an extinct species come back to existence." Although McNichol disclosed that mental health struggles were the reason she quit "Empty Nest," decades later, some fans are still puzzled about her absence from the screen.

Fortunately, Kristy seems happy to meet and greet fans in person. The veteran actor has participated in other events with Nite of Dreams Productions, the group that organized "The Pirate Movie" screening. In 2023, Kristy and Atkins attended a "Super '70s Teen Idol Event." Kristy's older brother, Jimmy McNichol, was also a featured guest. Like his sister, Jimmy was a child actor, and the two siblings appeared in a late 1970s after-school special together. Jimmy also followed a similar career trajectory, ditching acting for other pursuits.