White Men Can't Jump Is Getting A Remake
I genuinely didn't have "greenlighting a remake of a classic 1992 sports comedy" on my 2021 bingo card, but at this point, so much weird junk has happened I might as well throw my card in the trash. 20th Century Studios announced today that filmmaker Calmatic will be in the director's seat. He recently wrapped production on New Line's reboot of "House Party" and gained worldwide acclaim after directing the Grammy award-winning video for "Old Town Road" from Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. The new script for "White Men Can't Jump" comes from Kenya Barris who has been working on the project for years, and Doug Hall with Barris also producing. Blake Griffin, former NFL player Ryan Kalil, and Noah Weinstein are executive producing through their Mortal Media banner. E. Brian Dobbins will also serve as executive producer.
The original "White Men Can't Jump" starred Woody Harrelson as Billy Hoyle, a white street basketball player who hustles Black players he knows will underestimate his abilities on the court. After pulling a fast one on Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), the two become con partners, cleaning house on courts across Los Angeles. Turns out Billy owes money to the mob and needs to keep them off his back while keeping his wife (Rosie Perez) happy.
But Didn't The Original Answer the Titular Question?
According to the announcement from Deadline, no details have been released regarding what possible changes will be made to the original storyline (for one thing, 1992 is a hell of a lot different than 2021) but it will supposedly follow a similar plot to the original. Calmatic's "House Party" reboot is also being produced by LeBron James through his SpringHill Company label, which means "White Men Can't Jump" will be his second foray into entertainment produced by NBA stars. Maybe the folks behind "Space Jam 2" should have waited a little while longer because it sounds like Calmatic would have been a perfect fit.
If you take a quick peek at social media, people seem less than thrilled at the announcement of the remake/reboot/reimagining/re-whatever this ends up being, especially when the original film answered the question and proved that yes, some white men can jump. Regardless, the project is happening and Calmatic definitely seems like he'll do right by the original. The premise of "White Men Can't Jump" is beloved, but the performances from Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, and Rosie Perez are what helped make the film a classic. Whoever they cast has some pretty big Nikes and cycling caps to fill.