The NFL 2019-2020 season is officially underway. In honor of the occasion, Sean Astin is back as his iconic character from the 1993 football movie Rudy. KFC has brought Astin on board to be their latest Colonel Sanders, but he is "Colonel Rudy" this time around and the ad leans heavily on footage from the movie. The ad even boasts a fake sequel: "Rudy II: He's Colonel Sanders now." Astin had this to say about signing up with KFC.

"When KFC approached me to reprise the role of Rudy, but play him as Colonel Sanders, I knew this was something I couldn't pass up. Getting to recreate some of the film's iconic scenes with a KFC spin was such a fun experience."

This isn't the only time we're going to see Sean Astin reprising his role from Rudy for the KFC ads. Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger is chasing a new dream, which will obviously be tied into the world of fast food fried chicken, with ties to the NFL since the new season just started. KFC released a statement about the new ad campaign and you can read it below.

"Both Colonel Sanders and Rudy Ruettiger have similar stories of fulfilling their dreams by doing things the hard way and never giving up. In KFC's new campaign, Rudy II, fans will see Rudy on a quest to fulfill a new dream - to become the Colonel Sanders. The spot recreates several of the iconic scenes from the original Rudy film like the famous locker room speech and when Rudy is lifted up and carried off the field as a hero, but in a unique way that only KFC could do."

Kentucky Fried Chicken is no stranger to coming up with zany marketing ideas. The revolving door of Colonel Sanders actors has been one of their most successful over the years. Jason Alexander, Norm McDonald, Ray Liotta, and country singer Reba McEntire are just some of the people to take on the role. And there was a big RoboCop tie in last year, which saw the Cyborg policeman take on the KFC mascot. Andrea Zahumensky, KFC U.S. chief marketing officer explains their choice for Sean Astin's Rudy.

"Football, Kentucky Fried Chicken and the iconic sports film Rudy - three American classics that were made for each other. This is why we've enlisted Colonel Rudy to remind fans across America that there's no better way to watch your favorite team than with a bucket of the Colonel's famous fried chicken."

The Rudy KFC ads are starting to promote a limited offer where fans can get a free chocolate cake when purchasing a 10-piece meal at participating restaurants across North America. As for the continuing adventures of Colonel Rudy, that is unclear at the moment, but he will be chasing his new dream. The 1993 movie is based on the real-life story Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger and KFC has even featured him in a small cameo in the latest ad.

While Sean Astin is currently enjoying his new role as Colonel Rudy, he won't be returning for The Goonies 2 any time soon. The actor recently revealed that a new movie will probably happen, but it will more than likely be a reboot instead of a full-fledged sequel. Fans can really only hope for some cameos from the original cast if this ends up being the case. While we wait to find out, you can check out Astin's latest role below, thanks to the KFC YouTube channel.