While we still haven’t seen any images or a trailer for the White Men Can’t Jump remake, director Calmatic reveals the movie is coming out sometime this year. During a press junket for Calmatic’s House Party, Collider’s own Christina Radish asked about the highly-anticipated remake and got a clear update on the film’s development cycle.
Released in 1992, White Men Can't Jump stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as two hustlers who use their basketball skills to extort money from unaware street targets. The movie became a cult classic over the years, but no one tried to bring it back until producer Kenya Barris (Black-ish, BlackAF) got involved with a remake. Now, we have a new White Men Can't Jump in the works with Calmatic directing from a script by Barris and Doug Hall, a story editor on Black-ish.
It may seem weird to wait two decades before reviving a franchise, especially since the original cast and crew are not involved, but as Calmatic tells us, the idea was not so much about making a sequel or a remake. Instead, he’s trying to remix some old ideas and bring a brand-new story to life. As Calmatic puts it:
“We’re taking some elements, like a white guy and a black guy playing basketball, but we’re flippin’ it. We’ve got a whole new story, whole new approach, whole new tempo, whole new rhythm, but it’s gonna be something that everyone can enjoy. I can’t wait for the world to see that one. I think that’s gonna be great, as well.”
Considering Calmatic is an award-winning music video director, it’s interesting to think about how he has approached the new White Men Can't Jump as a remix of sorts. But the real question here is, when will we be able to watch the movie? Calmatic reveals that he has already locked in the final version of the film and is now taking care of the sound design. As the director told us:
“We locked the edit maybe a couple days ago. I feel like we gotta finish the sound mixing, throw some songs in there, get it color correct, and take it through the final stages of post. And then, I’m sure you guys will see something really soon. It’s definitely coming out this year.”
Speaking of music, the new White Men Can’t Jump film stars Grammy-nominated rapper Jack Harlow and actor Sinqua Walls in the leading roles. Surprisingly, White Men Can’t Jump is Harlow's first leading acting role, and we can't wait to see how he does.
While the White Men Can’t Jump remake doesn’t have an official release date yet, we know it’s coming sometime this year. While we wait for news on the project, check out the original movie’s trailer below.