Reportedly, Kevin Hart will star in the remake of ‘Uptown Saturday Night’ (1974). The action-comedy-crime film will be fronted by Warner Bros and Overbrook Entertainment, produced by Will Smith and James Lassiter. Writer Kenya Barris (Black-ish) is set to take the lead on the script.
The original story-line follows two friends, Steve Jackson and Wardell Franklin who sneak into a high-class, illegal club when trouble ensues. The throwback cast included Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and more.
Over the years, there has been talk of a potential remake but nothing had been set into motion – until now. In 2002, Will Smith and Overbrook Entertainment secured rights to ‘Uptown Saturday Night’ and its sequels ‘Let’s Do It Again’ and ‘A Piece of Action’. At the time, Smith vocalized his hopes of bringing Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence onboard, but production halted. In 2012, Will Smith and Denzel Washington were allegedly set to co-star, but faced major scheduling conflicts.
The comedy classic was once at the top of the 50 highest grossing films list, just three months after its debut. So, could it be the pressure of high expectations creating these lapses in production? With a comedy icon like Kevin Hart leading the film, we can only hope he’s paired up with someone just as noteworthy.
The developing film is still in search of a Director and co-starring role.
