A remake of the 1992 comedy White Men Can’t Jump is set to hit the big screen.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the updated take on the film will come from the Black-ish creator, Kenya Barris. He will write the script and produce the film alongside the athletes-turned-producers Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil.
The original starred Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes as con artists who fool basketball players about Harrelson’s character’s lack of ability. It was a sleeper hit, grossing $90m worldwide, and was a surprise favorite film of the acclaimed film-maker Stanley Kubrick.
Since Black-ish became a breakout hit for Barris, scooping up Emmy nominations and a recent Golden Globes win for its star Tracee Ellis Ross, he has also written the forthcoming comedy Girl Trip, starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah and Regina Hall, and is set to bring Shaft to the screen once again.
Griffin plays basketball for the Los Angeles Clippers – though he is currently sidelined with a knee injury – while Kalil is an NFL player for the Carolina Panthers. The pair now own a production banner called Mortal Media. They are also working on a remake of the action adventure The Rocketeer, centered around a black female protagonist.
