A ‘Fletch’ Reboot Starring Jon Hamm Is Officially In The Works
The “Mad Men” star is set to reprise Chevy Chase’s iconic comedy role.
Is it time for a Fletch reboot? According to Deadline, Jon Hamm thinks so. He’s reportedly set to produce and play the title role in a new version of the Chevy Chase comedy classic from Miramax.
Deadline also reports Superbad director Greg Mottola will helm the production, which was originally adapted from Gregory McDonald’s mystery novels of the same name.
The word “reboot” may not be precise enough here. According to Deadline, the “new film adaptation will specifically be based on the second book in the Mcdonald series, Confess, Fletch.”
Here’s the Amazon listing synopsis for that novel:
Fletch, now newly engaged and happily living out his days in Italy, finds himself embroiled in yet another scandal. His soon-to-be father-in-law has been kidnapped and is now presumed dead, and the priceless collection of rare art that belongs to his fiancée’s family has been stolen.
Ever the investigative reporter, he receives a tip about the missing art that lands him in Boston, where he walks right into a murder scene in his apartment. What clearly looks like a setup to the unfazed Fletch looks quite different to the detective assigned to the case, Mr. Francis Xavier Flynn. But even if the case is seemingly cut-and-dry, Flynn is reluctant to arrest the only suspect that stands before him.
Now under the detective’s watchful eye, Fletch must try to clear his name and search for the missing paintings, all while his gorgeous future mother-in-law works to persuade him for help the best way she knows how—seduction.
The book-to-movie pipeline being what it is, there’s a chance the movie version featuring the Mad Men star won’t look anything like the story above, since screenwriters often completely rewrite key elements of the story, or leave out subplots for expediency’s sake.
The new movie is set to be scripted by Zev Borow, who previously worked on the TV series version of Lethal Weapon.
Chevy Chase’s iconic take on Fletch for Universal Pictures hit theaters in 1985 and was a big hit, clocking $60 million in global box office profits. Chase starred in the 1989 sequel Fletch Lives, which didn’t do quite as well, taking in $40 million.
Hamm will produce with manager Connie Tavel. She said in a statement quoted by Deadline that producing a new Fletch “with Jon has been a longtime dream of mine and with Zev and Greg on board to write and direct, I really believe that this will be an exciting and modern reimagining of this beloved character.”
A new Fletch has been in the works with one studio or another for years, and Jason Sudeikis was attached to a possible movie based on the novel Fletch Won in 2014, but that was eventually shelved in part due to studio closings.
A premiere date for Jon Hamm’s future Fletch hasn’t been set.
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