Robin Williams' haunting final days resurface as ‘Night at the Museum' franchise returns

San Francisco Chronicle​

11-07-2025

Nearly two decades after Robin Williams first brought Teddy Roosevelt to life in 'Night at the Museum,' the family-friendly film franchise is getting a reboot — this time with a new cast, an original storyline and a fresh voice guiding the script.
Production company 21 Laps has begun developing the reimagining for 20th Century Studios, with Tripper Clancy set to pen the screenplay. Shawn Levy, who directed the original trilogy, will return as producer alongside Dan Levine, maintaining creative continuity for a series that has grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide, according to Deadline.
The reboot will reportedly remain set in the same type of enchanted museum where exhibits spring to life after dark, but will introduce an entirely new slate of characters. It marks the franchise's first live-action installment since 2014's 'Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb' — a film now remembered as Williams' final live-action role.
Behind the scenes of that film, Williams was already exhibiting signs of serious struggle, Levy revealed in the 2020 documentary 'Robin's Wish.'
'I would say a month into the shoot, it was clear to me, it was clear to all of us on set, that something was going on with Robin,' Levy said. 'We saw that Robin was struggling in a way that he hadn't before, to remember lines and to combine the right words with the performance.'
Though Williams had spoken publicly about his battles with depression, it wasn't until after his death that his family disclosed he had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia — a neurological disorder that severely affected his memory and confidence.
The toll of the disease became evident in Williams' late-night phone calls to Levy.
'When Robin would call me at 10 at night, at two in the morning, at four in the morning, saying, 'Is it usable? Is any of this usable? Do I suck? What's going on? ' I would reassure him,' Levy said in the documentary. 'I said, 'You are still you. I know it. The world knows it. You just need to remember that.''
Williams died by suicide at age 63 in his Marin County home in August 2014, just four months before the film's release. He is also remembered for his roles in 1997's Oscar-winning 'Good Will Hunting,' 1993's 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and 1996's 'Birdcage.'
'My faith in him never left, but I saw his morale crumbling,' Levy added. 'I saw a guy that wasn't himself, and that was unforgivable.'
While plot details remain under wraps, the reboot will be the first entry in the franchise since the 2022 animated feature 'Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again,' released on Disney+.
Levy is also preparing to direct 'Star Wars: Starfighter,' starring Ryan Gosling, while original leading man Ben Stiller has shifted his focus behind the camera, producing the acclaimed series 'Severance.'
In recent days, a resurfaced comedy clip has rekindled admiration for Williams' sharp political humor.
In a 2012 stand-up set, the comedian skewered then-real estate mogul Donald Trump, likening Atlantic City to the 'Wizard of Oz on acid' filled with 'junkies, pimps and pizza.'
'And Donald Trump is the Wizard of Oz, he is the guy,' Williams said. 'He plays monopoly with real f—ing buildings. This is a scary man.'
Williams didn't hold back, skewering Trump's beauty pageant empire.
'He owns all these beauty pageants, Miss America, Miss Universe,' he said. 'Isn't that a bit like Michael Vick owning a series of pet stores?'
Williams didn't hold back, skewering Trump's beauty pageant empire; taking aim at Trump's infamous hairstyle and at the mogul's controversial remark about his daughter Ivanka being 'hot.'
'Even people in Arkansas went, 'that's f—ing wrong,'' Williams said. 'That's just way out of place.'