Remember when this tall, goofy dude named Chevy Chase was a major movie star? No? Then congratulations, you were born after 1987 and missed out on the 80’s. Good for you. Before he was the guy on Community and the mysterious repairman from Hot Tub Time Machine, Chevy Chase was a big deal.
One of his biggest franchises was the Fletch movies, about a journalist named I. M. Fletcher who dons a series of wacky disguises, spits out hilarious one-liners and deals with a plot no one can remember. Warner Brothers has been trying to reboot this thing for a long time. Kevin Smith and Jason Lee were attached to write and star at one point, and a parade of names have come and gone since – Zach Braff, Bill Lawrence, producers Steve Golin, Michael Sugar, and David List. And still nothing. Now, Cinema Blend reports that a screenwriter has finally been found.
His name is David Mandel, who wrote for Seinfeld and Clerks: The Animated Series, scribed EuroTrip, co-wrote The Cat in the Hat and has a credit on Sacha Baron Cohen‘s upcoming comedy The Dictator. That last part gives me hope.
The new project is to be more of a re-imagining than a remake and will “[play] out on a bigger canvas than the previous movies.” Clearly. The original movies were based – loosely – on a series of mystery novels by Gregory McDonald and tailored for Chase’s signature brand of weirdness.
This project is supposedly a high priority for Warners, and would be “a great vehicle for an A-list comedy star.” No word on who – if anyone – is in the running to star or direct just yet. Stay tuned.
Looking forward to a Fletch remake? If so, bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia. And the Beatles’s White Album.