‘Planes, Trains, And Automobiles’ Remake In The Works With Will Smith And Kevin Hart Taking The Trip
Kevin Hartis quickly making a habit out of remaking beloved comedies. The comedian is already working on a remake ofThe Great OutdoorsandScrooged. Now the comedian has added another one to the development slate in the form of aPlanes, Trains and Automobilesremake, and he’s draggingWill Smithon the trip with him.
Deadline has word on Paramount Pictures developing thePlanes, Trains and Automobilesremake withBrooklyn Nine-NineandThe Carmichael ShowwriterAeysha Carrtackling the script as her feature writing debut. No director is in place yet, but Kevin Hart and Will Smith are both producing through Hartbeat Productions and Westbrook Studios respectively.
Written and directed by John Hughes, the 1987 comedyPlanes, Trains, and Automobilesfollows Steve Martin on an itinerary from hell as his travel plans back home for Thanksgiving are continually screwed up by many mishaps, most of which are brought on by a fellow traveler played by John Candy that he can’t seem to stop running into.
The idea of Kevin Hart and Will Smith starring in a road trip comedy is an enticing prospect, especially if they get Will Smith to be the annoying part of the duo instead of Kevin Hart (though there’s no indication that will happen). But what immediately sullies that excitement is calling it a remake of one of the most beloved comedies of all time. It’s not just a good comedy to watch around the holidays. This is a movie that’s hilarious at any time, and it also stars two comedians who were at the top of their game. So this is a tall order for a remake.
Frankly, I just hate when studios use name recognition like this. How hard would it be for Will Smith and Kevin Hart to star in a road trip comedy that stands on its own? They’re huge stars, and people will turn out for the movie just because they’re in it. Saying the movie is a remake ofPlanes, Trains, and Automobilessets the movie up for bitterness from fans and also puts expectations pretty high. Look at a movie likeDue Datewith Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. That’s an R-rated comedy that is basically a remake ofPlanes, Trains and Automobilesand it raked in$211.7 million at the worldwide box office.
In this day and age, almost nothing is safe from the remake machine in Hollywood. I just wish studios would use a little discretion when it comes to these decisions. You don’t need a bankable title when you have two big stars like Will Smith and Kevin Hart on board. If anything, the larger worry should be making a comedy with such expensive talent at a time when comedies seem to be falling by the wayside at the box office, especially R-rated comedies. But we’ll see if this one actually gets off the ground, on the tracks, or on the road.
