Jon Hamm revealed back in 2014 during an Esquire profile that Fletch was the movie he’d seen the most.
He’d better get ready to watch it a few more times as preparation, as he has signed on to star in a Fletch reboot being helmed by Superbad director Greg Mottola.
Chevy Chase originated the disguise-loving character in the 1985 film, which was based on Gregory McDonald‘s series of mystery novels and directed by Michael Ritchie. The original Fletch has become a cult classic since then and spawned a sequel, Fletch Lives, in 1989.
This film will reportedly be based on McDonald’s second book, titled Confess, Fletch. It finds the investigative reporter looking into a series of murders, including one that casts him as the prime suspect. Fletch is forced to prove his innocence while tracking down a stolen art collection that his fiancée inherited after her father’s disappearance and presumed death.
Good on Hamm for getting to play what’s probably a dream role for him. However, is this another case of Hollywood unnecessarily going down the reboot route? Sure, Fletch is a cult classic, but isn’t much of that love based on Chase’s performance? Is substituting him for Hamm going to bring droves of Fletch fans to the cinema?
And a larger question might be whether Fletch is even a viable brand today. Younger generations won’t have the same connection to the original film older fans have, and comedies have fared pretty terribly at the box office in recent years.
The studio will be hoping this doesn’t turn out similarly to something like 2017’s CHiPs, a comedy based on the 1977-1983 TV series that bombed hard.
Still, Hamm is a great performer and has already proven his comedy chops during a great Curb Your Enthusiasm guest spot. And maybe Mottola can find some of that Superbad magic, and turn Fletch into a cult classic for a new generation.
#Peace.Love.Fletch
