Posted by | Cyrena Rose
Ok….here’s the story behind the remake of the Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby 1974 film, Uptown Saturday Night. Years ago actor/producer Will Smith acquired the rights to the movie and began looking for a script writer. Smith also reached out to Oscar winner Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence about co-starring in the film. Washington loved the movie/idea as much as Smith and agreed to star in the remake.
Warner Brothers and Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment commissioned comedy writer Tim Dowling to rewrite the script; Smith loved his writing in This Means War.
Below is what Dowling said about the story:
“Will Smith is producing it. He hired me to write it because he liked the script for ‘This Mean’s War.’ He and Denzel Washington grew up loving the original… It’s been a fun one to write, I just turned it in. We’re all hoping it’s something [Washington] wants do… the funny thing is, Will is so funny but hasn’t done a comedy in a while and Denzel I don’t think has ever done a comedy. I think the pairing would be great… David Dobkin is attached to direct it and hopefully we’ll get that going… The best way to describe it is a ‘one crazy night’ movie but it’s not just one night… Both of the main characters are blue collar guys, one doesn’t get a promotion, one’s business isn’t doing great, they go out for a night and get caught up in something they need to find their way out of. It’s similar in tone to ‘The Hangover.’ I think it will be really fun.”
Recently it was announced that instead of David Dobkin, Adam McKay has signed on to direct the film still with Will Smith and Denzel Washington starring. However, McKay won’t be available until after he helms the sequel to Anchorman which is expected to start shooting in 2013 for a 2014 release; so it looks like, as Shadow&Act reports, we shouldn’t expect to see the Uptown Saturday Night remake until at least 2014.
Enjoy the trailer of the 1974 classic below:
height=350We will keep you updated! Tell us what you think!