Not all successful movie ideas from the past should be rebooted. Either they are just such classics that attempting to redo them is tantamount to treason, or they’re such stinkers that people are still trying to forget about from a darker era of cinematic history. Sadly, this movie probably falls into the latter category as news has come out that The Nutty Professor is getting rebooted once more.
Back in 1996, Eddie Murphy took on the iconic role of the Nutty Professor – which itself was a reboot of a 1963 film starring Jerry Lewis – about a socially awkward and overweight professor who develops a potion that turns him into the more athletic and suave Buddy Love. The side-effect here was that Love also had a for ruining the reputation of his alter-ego whenever he was set loose. The film was perhaps more a sign of how great Eddie Murphy was in his prime, acting not only as both characters but sd most of the Klump family too. Despite some decent visual effects though, the film hasn’t aged well.
Perhaps that latter reason is the motivation behind Project X Entertainment – who is also currently working on Scream 5 – wanting to reboot this story to the big screen. Deadline is reporting that Protect X’s James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, and Paul Neinstein are rebooting the classic comedy and will serve as the film’s producers. There are currently no writers or directors attached to the project and it’s not clear if it will be a complete reboot or perhaps serve as a sequel to the Eddie Murphy version of the film in any way.
I’m not sure I’m keen on seen this story play out all over again, but if they are going to make it work, they need to find a charismatic lead and freshen up the humour considerably. Or, they could release it along with a potion that makes you forget it entirely once you’re done.
Last Updated: August 25, 2020
