Will Smith and Kevin Hart reportedly will team up for a remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Directed by John Hughes, the classic 1987 original starred Steve Martin and John Candy as two bickering men forced to travel cross country together by various means in a desperate bid to get home for the holidays.
Thanks in large part to the two leads’ memorable performances, with Candy standing out in particular as the earnest Del Griffith, the film grossed a respectable $49.5 million at the box office on a $15 million budget. But of course, the movie would later go on to become much bigger as a Thanksgiving watch on cable, thanks to its sentimental tone and classic buddy-movie humor. Today, the movie is considered a true holiday season classic, up there with It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story and Home Alone.
Now, stars Smith and Hart are hoping to recapture the magic of Candy and Martin with a Planes, Trains & Automobiles remake. As reported by Deadline, Paramount is setting up the film for the two stars with Ayesha Carr (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) on board to pen the script. No director has yet been named for the project.
Smith of course is currently coming off one of the most surprising hits of his career, the 2020 release Bad Boys For Life, which grossed $419 million worldwide and has a good chance of finishing as the highest grossing movie of the year thanks to the chaos brought on by coronavirus. Hart meanwhile has become one of the top comedy stars in the world, and has recently crossed over into the blockbuster realm thanks to his appearances alongside Dwayne Johnson in a pair of Jumanji films. In addition to his just revealed role in Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Hart will also remake The Great Outdoors, another film that starred the late Candy.
Obviously, Candy and Martin are two legendary performers who achieved beloved status in the culture thanks in large part to their memorable pairing in the original Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Smith and Hart of course are no slouches when it comes to popularity themselves, but it remains to be seen if the pair will be able to strike the same funny-but-heartfelt notes that Candy and Martin hit together in the Hughes film. Indeed, Hughes’ direction was central to the success of the original movie, and snagging the right director for the remake will be key to assuring the new film reaches a similar level of success among audiences. No doubt, there is a certain amount of danger in remaking a film like Planes, Trains & Automobiles, as it has become a genuine classic that is adored by film fans. But Smith and Hart certainly have the star power and comedy chops to make a remake work.
Source: Deadline