Hollywood is obsessed with sequels, but Return to the Blue Lagoon was always a bit of a weird case. It wasn't just a sequel; it was a gamble on two teenagers who had almost no name recognition in 1991. When people search for the cast of Blue Lagoon 2, they’re usually looking for one person in particular: Milla Jovovich. At just 15 years old, she stepped into the massive, sandy footprints of Brooke Shields, and the industry was watching to see if she'd sink or swim. Honestly, most critics at the time thought the movie sank, but looking back thirty-five years later, the casting choices were actually pretty brilliant in a "lightning in a bottle" kind of way.
You've gotta remember the context. The original 1980 film was a massive, controversial hit. Replacing those iconic faces wasn't going to be easy. Director William A. Graham didn't just need actors; he needed kids who could look comfortable living in the dirt for three months in Fiji.
The Breakthrough of Milla Jovovich as Lilli
Before she was slaying zombies in Resident Evil or playing an orange-haired supreme being in The Fifth Element, Milla Jovovich was Lilli. She was a model first, having already graced the cover of Lei magazine at age 12. Richard Avedon had already photographed her. She had the look. But could she act?
The cast of Blue Lagoon 2 relied entirely on her ability to portray "civilized innocence." Unlike the first film, where the kids grow up completely feral, Lilli is raised by her mother (played by Lisa Pelikan) on the island for the first part of the movie. Milla had to balance that Victorian-era stifled upbringing with the inevitable transition into a wilder, more primal existence.
It’s actually kinda wild how much heat she took for the role. The film won several Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), including Worst New Star for Milla. History has been much kinder to her, though. You can see the flashes of the screen presence that would eventually make her an action icon. She has this way of looking at the camera that feels older than her years. That intensity is what kept her career alive when the movie itself was being panned by guys like Roger Ebert, who famously gave it zero stars.
Brian Krause: The Boy Who Wasn't Christopher Atkins
Then there’s Brian Krause. He played Richard, the boy who survived the first movie as a baby and grew up to be Lilli’s companion. Krause was 21 playing a teenager, which is a classic Hollywood trope, but he had this quintessential 90s look—the hair, the jawline, the whole thing.
If you look at his career after the cast of Blue Lagoon 2, it’s fascinating. He didn't follow Milla into big-budget action movies. Instead, he became a pillar of 90s and 2000s television. Most people recognize him immediately as Leo Wyatt from Charmed. It’s a completely different vibe, right? Going from a loincloth on a deserted island to an "Elder" whitelighter protecting witches in San Francisco.
Krause has talked in interviews about how grueling the shoot was. They weren't on a soundstage in Burbank. They were in Taveuni, Fiji. The sun was brutal. The water was full of things that bite. While the chemistry between him and Jovovich was enough to carry the film's thin plot, it was clear they were two very different types of actors. Krause was a professional, steady presence; Milla was a wild card with superstar potential.
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The Supporting Cast: More Than Just Background
We can't ignore Lisa Pelikan. She plays Sarah Hargrave, the woman who finds the drifting boat from the first movie and ends up raising the two children until she eventually passes away from pneumonia.
Pelikan’s performance is actually the emotional anchor of the first act. Without her, the movie has no stakes. She’s the one who tries to instill values, religion, and "decency" into these kids while surviving in a jungle. Pelikan had a solid career before this, appearing in Julia and Lionheart, and she brought a level of gravitas that the movie desperately needed.
The rest of the cast of Blue Lagoon 2 includes:
- Courtney Barilla: She played the "Young Lilli." You probably don't remember her much, as her career didn't take off like the leads, but she did a great job setting the stage for Milla.
- Garette Ratliff Henson: He played the "Young Richard." He actually went on to have a pretty recognizable career in the 90s, specifically in The Mighty Ducks trilogy as Guy Germaine and in Casper.
- Brian Blain: He played Captain Hilliard. A veteran Australian actor, Blain brought that "civilized world" conflict to the final act of the film when a ship finally discovers the island.
Why the Casting Matters Today
Why do we still care about who was in this movie?
Mostly because it serves as a time capsule for how Hollywood used to "manufacture" stars. In the early 90s, the goal was to find the next Brooke Shields. They thought they could just repeat the formula. But what they actually found in the cast of Blue Lagoon 2 was an actress who would eventually redefine what a female action star looked like.
Milla Jovovich didn't become the next Brooke Shields; she became Milla Jovovich.
The film also highlights a shift in how we view these "nature vs. nurture" stories. The 1991 sequel leans much harder into the idea that "civilization" is the true villain. When the ship arrives and the "civilized" daughter of the Captain tries to woo Richard, the movie makes it very clear that the island life—the life the cast lived—is superior. It’s a bit cheesy, sure, but it resonated with a certain generation of viewers who caught this movie on HBO every other afternoon for a decade.
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The Fiji Factor: A Difficult Production
The environment was as much a character as any of the actors.
The production was plagued by weather issues. They were filming in a remote location where supplies had to be brought in by boat or small plane. This wasn't a "glamour" shoot. Brian Krause has mentioned in several retrospectives that the cast was basically living a toned-down version of the movie characters' lives. Saltwater, sand in places sand shouldn't be, and the constant threat of tropical storms.
This physical toll shows on screen. There’s a raw, sun-baked quality to the actors' skin and hair that you just don't get with modern CGI and heavy makeup. It’s one of the few things critics actually praised—the cinematography by Geoffrey Wharton was stunning. He captured the isolation that the cast of Blue Lagoon 2 was genuinely feeling.
Common Misconceptions About the Sequel
One thing people always get wrong is the timeline. Some fans think Christopher Atkins and Brooke Shields were supposed to be in it. They weren't. The first movie ends on a pretty definitive (and dark) note, though the sequel retcons the ending slightly to allow the baby to survive.
Another misconception is that the movie was a box office bomb. While it didn't set the world on fire like the original, it became a staple of home video and cable television. This is where Milla Jovovich really built her early fanbase. Teenagers in the mid-90s didn't care about the Razzies; they cared about the romance and the escapism.
How the Movie Influenced Future Career Paths
If you look at the trajectory of the lead actors, Return to the Blue Lagoon was a fork in the road.
For Milla, it was a lesson in the fickle nature of fame. She took a break from acting shortly after to focus on music, releasing an album called The Divine Comedy. When she returned to film, she was much more selective, choosing projects like Dazed and Confused.
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For Brian Krause, it was a solid calling card. It proved he could lead a film and handle the physical demands of a location shoot. It’s likely that his work here, showing he could be a romantic lead with a bit of an edge, helped him land the role in Sleepwalkers (the Stephen King movie) and eventually Charmed.
The Legacy of the Sequel Cast
Honestly, the cast of Blue Lagoon 2 represents a specific era of "Pre-Internet" stardom. There was no Instagram to promote the movie. There were no "behind the scenes" TikToks. There was just the poster, the trailer, and the hope that these two kids could capture the world's imagination.
They didn't win Oscars. They didn't change the course of cinema. But they did provide a definitive "90s version" of a classic tale. Milla Jovovich’s career alone makes the movie worth a revisit. Seeing a future megastar in her first major role, struggling with the clunky dialogue but absolutely commanding the screen with her eyes, is a masterclass in natural charisma.
If you’re planning on revisiting the film or exploring the careers of the actors, here is how you should approach it:
- Watch for Milla’s Transitions: Pay attention to the scenes after her mother dies. That’s where you see her actual acting chops begin to develop.
- Check out Brian Krause’s later work: Watch an episode of Charmed right after the movie. The contrast is hilarious but also shows his range as a "dependable" leading man.
- Look at the Cinematography: Don't just focus on the actors; look at the Fiji landscapes. It’s a reminder of a time when movies had to be filmed on location to get that specific look.
- Research the soundtrack: The music by Basil Poledouris is actually quite beautiful and helps elevate the performances of the young cast.
Whether you think the movie is a cult classic or a cringey relic of the early 90s, there’s no denying the impact it had on the people involved. It was a trial by fire—or rather, a trial by sun and sea. The cast of Blue Lagoon 2 took a beating from the press, but they survived it to become household names in their own right. That’s more than most "sequel kids" can say.
The next step is simple: if you haven't seen Milla Jovovich’s early work, go back and watch Return to the Blue Lagoon with a fresh set of eyes. Ignore the Razzie nominations and just look at the screen presence. You'll see exactly why she became the star she is today. Afterward, compare it to her performance in The Fifth Element to see one of the most drastic "evolutions" in Hollywood history.