Last year marked the return of the iconic comedic reporter Irwin M. Fletcher, better known as Fletch, with the Jon Hamm-led reboot Confess, Fletch. Based on the series of mystery novels by Gregory McDonald and following the movie adaptations starring Chevy Chase, the film saw Fletch fighting to prove his innocence after being linked to multiple homicides while also investigating the heist of his fiancé's art collection. While it failed to make waves at the box office, it was a passion project for director Greg Mottola and one that critics and audiences seemed to love, becoming certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, the director revealed on Instagram that he has begun work on the screenplay for a sequel based on the book Fletch's Fortune.

Ever since Confess, Fletch released, Mottola had his eye on a Fletch's Fortune follow-up. During a previous interview with Uproxx, he unveiled that the journalism conference-set sequel was his target and he couldn't wait to bring the novel into the modern day. "I’ve got lots of ideas [for] how to bring that into all the insane worlds of today," he said. After working with him on Confess, Fletch, producer Bill Block put faith in Mottola to do the series justice once again. Miramax, who owns the rights to the Fletch novels and could re-team with Mottola, proved to be the perfect partner for the director last time too, giving him and his team creative freedom when it came to casting and adapting the book.

The only thing standing in the way of Fletch's Fortune is whether anyone would be willing to bring the project to life. Considering Confess, Fletch drew a mere $1 million at the box office against a $20 million budget, all hope lies with streaming and VOD numbers. For what it's worth, Mottola isn't totally convinced the film will be made, but he'll continue writing as long as the possibility of the film happening remains open.

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Image via Miramax

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What Is the Plot of Fletch's Fortune?

Fletch's Fortune is the third book of McDonald's series which sees the titular investigative reporter given an ultimatum. The FBI is onto him for tax evasion, and he has the choice of either leaving the Riviera to attend a journalism conference and work as their spy or serving serious jail time back in the States for his ill-gotten gains. Fletch chooses the former and, with a suitcase packed with bugging devices, he sets out in search of a scoop on a prominent and scandalous newspaper tycoon. When said tycoon ends up dead, however, Fletch uses his time instead to investigate, a task made all the harder by the fact that the vast majority of conference attendees had a motive and connection to the tycoon.

If the film does get made, there's little doubt that Hamm will be back in the starring role of Fletch. Confess, Fletch was just as much a passion project for him as it was for Mottola as he not only served as a producer but even gave up 60% of his salary to ensure the film made it to the finish line. Hamm starred in the previous film alongside Roy Wood Jr., Lorenza Izzo, Kyle MacLachlan, Annie Mumolo, John Behlmann, John Slattery, Lucy Punch, Marcia Gay Harden, and Ayden Mayeri.

Confess, Fletch is available now through VOD or on Paramount+, Showtime, and other platforms. See Mottola's post on the potential sequel, Fletch's Fortune, below.