“Drop Dead Fred” meets “Beetlejuice”
The remake frenzy continues unabated. Per Film News Briefs:
Universal is resurrecting “Drop Dead Fred,” this time as a starring vehicle for Russell Brand. Dennis McNicholas, one of the writers of Universal’s upcoming “Land of the Lost,” will pen the remake. Marc Platt is producing via his studio-based Marc Platt Prods. along with Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. The 1991 original starred Phoebe Cates as a wallflower who loses her job and husband during the course of a lunch hour. Forced to live back home, she’s reunited with her childhood imaginary friend (Brit actor Rik Mayall), who promises to help but causes more havoc. The take for the new “Fred” is to make a film in the tone of “Beetlejuice,” building a universe around the concept of imaginary friends. Brand would play the trouble-making pal.
At least with Drop Dead Fred (1991), they’re remaking a not-good movie ala this commentary. To wit, Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 9% approval rating. That mean DDF is even less popular than Dick Cheney (aka Darth Cheney). So clearly there is room for improvement over the original flop.
But then there’s that other note: “The take for the new ‘Fred’ is to make a film in the tone of ‘Beetlejuice,’ building a universe around the concept of imaginary friends.” Excuse me, but that isn’t tone they’re talking about; that’s conceptual. As in ripping off the idea that Fred (aka Beetlejuice) lives in a ‘world’ with bizarre friends. So what the suits are thinking is substitute Russell Brand as Fred and stick him (and the hapless human Protagonist) in a world that looks / feels like this:
In case you’re not familiar with comic Russell Brand, here’s a taste of him live in concert: