Now this is what I call perfect casting! Hollywood has long sought to reboot the Gregory McDonald mysteries series, "Fletch", about an investigative journalist, which was turned into two films starring Chevy Chase in the eighties, the hit FLETCH and its much less successful follow-up, FLETCH LIVES. Kevin Smith famously tried to adapt McDonald's "Fletch Won" in the nineties, with everyone from Jason Lee to Zach Braff attached to the role at various times. Now, it looks like a new Fletch film is finally happening, with none other than the great Jon Hamm in the lead!
Set to be directed by Greg Mottola (SUPERBAD) with Miramax producing, according to Deadline, "the new film adaptation will specifically be based on the second book in the Mcdonald series, Confess, Fletch. In a mysterious chain of wild events, Fletch finds himself in the middle of multiple murders- one of which pins him as a prime suspect. While on a quest to prove his innocence, Fletch is tasked with finding his fiancée’s stolen art collection, the only inheritance she’s acquired after her father goes missing and is presumed dead. Zev Borow, consulting producer of the Lethal Weapon TV series, will be penning the feature adaptation."
True story, when I was in college I was obsessed with McDonald's "Fletch" series, and let me tell you, the Chevy Chase movies never even scratched the surface of how cool the character could have been on the big screen if given the proper treatment. While I maintain that a limited series format would probably suit the material best, Hamm is spot-on casting, with Fletch always written as handsome but cynical, with a goofy, quick-wit. Chase was actually a pretty good choice back in his day, and the first FLETCH was a solid little film, but the sequel, FLETCH LIVES was just awful (despite one good joke in a morgue – "any mail for me?").
I really hope this movie ends up happening, as the character is just too good not to get revived, and Hamm is the perfect guy to bring him to life. My one request – keep the Harold Faltermeyer music!
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