Is Lionsgate the Reason Young Guns 3 Hasn’t Happened Yet?

For fans of Young Guns and Young Guns II, the wait for a third movie has felt endless. Over the past few years, there have been multiple teases, rumors, and even confirmation from some of the original cast that a Young Guns 3 — sometimes called Young Guns: New Blood — is not only possible but in active development.
Yet here we are in 2025, and still no movie.

So what’s the holdup?
Honestly, I suspect it’s Lionsgate. And here's why.

First off, Lionsgate is well-known for having their hands on tons of "legacy properties" — movies that were huge back in the day and now sit waiting for either reboots, sequels, or special releases. They didn’t make the original Young Guns movies — those were Morgan Creek Productions projects — but over time, Lionsgate has picked up the distribution rights or partial rights to a lot of these classic films through mergers, deals, and catalog acquisitions.

If you follow Lionsgate’s moves, you know they don't rush projects just because fans want them. They are a business-first company, and everything is about timing, branding, and (of course) profit potential. They have a pattern of sitting on properties until they either feel the "market is right" or until a big star, director, or platform gives them a financially safe reason to move forward. Look at how they handled John Wick or even their attempts to revive franchises like The Hunger Games. They wait, sometimes to the point of frustrating fans, because they want the perfect storm of buzz and dollars.

Now, take Young Guns 3.
We’ve heard Emilio Estevez confirm in interviews that he’s been working on something. We know that Christian Slater, Lou Diamond Phillips, and even Kiefer Sutherland have at least expressed interest in returning.
The pieces are there.
The passion is there.
The fan base is definitely there.

Yet no cameras are rolling. No official release date. Barely any real announcements.

It smells like a rights issue or corporate hesitation — both things Lionsgate has a history of causing.
It’s very possible that Lionsgate, holding some level of rights or influence over Young Guns, is dragging their feet because they aren’t convinced there’s enough mainstream demand yet. Or maybe they want it reimagined in a way that Emilio and the others don't agree with — like a younger, glossier, TikTok-fueled reboot rather than a true continuation of the classic saga.

Another thing: Lionsgate also likes tight control over marketing and release windows. They may be bottlenecking the project because they want a streaming platform attached first (like Peacock, Netflix, or Prime), or because they want cross-promotional tie-ins. Maybe they want a series instead of a movie. Whatever the reason, it seems like their corporate "vision" is slowing down what could be a simple, fan-driven project.

Bottom line:
I don’t think it’s the actors.
I don’t think it’s the fans.
I don’t even think it’s the creative team.

I think it’s Lionsgate — sitting on the rights, waiting for some magic financial number to guarantee a return — while the heart and soul of Young Guns slowly gather dust.

If Lionsgate really believes in the power of the original films, they should trust the team that's passionate about it, greenlight the project, and give fans the return they’ve been waiting decades for.
Because let’s be real: nobody wants a future where Young Guns 3 becomes a lost movie that "almost happened."