By It’s hard to be surprised by remakes anymore but this one does seem a bit out of left field. The comedy classic Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is getting a remake with Kevin Hart and Will Smith taking the lead roles over from Steve Martin and John Candy. Aeysha Carr (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) is writing a screenplay, which will be based on the classic John Hughs film.
That is kind of saying almost nothing, though. The movie is a hilarious road trip about a high-strung man who is paired through happenstance with a lovable loaf on a trip home. The odd couple on a road trip story isn’t exactly new by any stretch of the imagination so it isn’t clear why this will be Planes, Trains, and Automobiles in anything but name. I mean the thing that made the original work so well was the cast and Hughs, not its unique concept.
Still, that doesn’t mean this will be bad in any way. Both Smith and Hart know how to do comedy, obviously, and the pair could play off each other well. It isn’t known which role which actor will be playing but if they play to type then Smith will probably take over Steve Martin’s straight-man role and Hart will fall into the comedic role of John Candy. Again, that could work but just how connected this will actually be to the original seems to be at question. Hell, half the plot of the original film is null-and-void given the invention of cell phones.
This isn’t the only reboot that Smith is involved with at the moment. The actor is also producing a dramatic reboot of The Fresh Prince of Belair. Now that I mention it a dramatic retelling of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles could be pretty cool. Maybe Hart is secretly a killer. Going horror is clearly the way to go.
Source: Deadline
