Before he made Pretty Woman and way before he succumbed to films like New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, Garry Marshall took a young Matt Dillion on a coming-of-age romp with 1984’s The Flamingo Kid. Now, according to Deadline, it’s time for Brett Ratner to take his turn.
Walt Disney Pictures has hired the Tower Heist and Rush Hour trilogy director to produce a remake along with producer of the original, Michael Phillips (who has also worked on such films as Taxi Driver and The Sting). They’ve already got a screenwriter in the form of Nzingha Stewart, who was an executive producer on For Colored Girls.
Since it’s still in the early stages, no word on a director yet. While it is easy to beat up on Ratner and his aptly named Rat Entertainment label, keep in mind it has helped bring such films like Woody Allen: A Documentary, the surprisingly solid Mirror Mirror, Horrible Bosses, Catfish and more to the screen. While I’m certainly not calling out for a remake of this one, I’ll keep positive for now. Check out the trailer for the original below in all its VHS-quality glory and on-the-nose voiceover.
What do you think of Ratner taking on this remake? Are you a fan of the original?