Goonies' Shocking Surprise: A Behind-the-Scenes Secret To capture the authentic awe and surprise of the young cast in The Goonies, director Richard Donner employed a clever filmmaking technique. When it came time to film the iconic scene where the kids first encounter Willie's pirate ship, Donner ensured that the young actors would experience the same shock and wonder as their characters. Rather than revealing the ship beforehand, Donner kept it hidden until the moment of filming. As the kids we