Little more than a week after Columbia announced it was remaking the Goldie Hawn film "Overboard" with Jennifer Lopez, New Line has enlisted Anna Faris to star in a remake of the Hawn vehicle "Private Benjamin," according to the Hollywood Reporter, although Pajiba.com first floated Faris’ involvement with the project back in December… which means I will now be taking Pajiba’s stories much more seriously.
I wonder which Hawn movie Hollywood will remake next — "Wildcats" or "Foul Play?"
Howard Zieff’s 1980 comedy starred Hawn as a spoiled Jewish brat whose husband dies during sex on their wedding night, prompting her to join the Army, where life isn’t as glamorous as she was led to believe. Uh, wasn’t this just remade more or less as "Major Movie Star" aka "Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous" with Jessica Simpson?
"Private Benjamin" marks the third Warner Bros. relic that New Line is remaking, following "Vacation" and "Police Academy." I mean, seriously, is this what development has come to post-Writers Strike? Remakes of classic 80s movies?
In all fairness, I think Faris is an enormously talented actress with a true gift for physical comedy, as evidenced by her star-making performance in the "Scary Movie" series as well as "Just Friends," "The House Bunny," "Smiley Face" and "Waiting…" IMDB also lists the actress as a rumored participant in "Ghostbusters III," which would certainly be interesting if that project ever comes to fruition.
I met Faris years ago at Sony’s launch for the Playstation 3 and she’s one of the sweetest celebrities I’ve ever had the pleasure to interview. I just wish the adorable actress would stay away from plastic surgeries that she doesn’t need.
While the original was notable for pushing women’s issues, America wasn’t actually at war in 1980 so military comedies like "Private Benjamin" and "Stripes" were welcomed without much thought about their respective perspectives on real-world issues afflicting the Army. With the remake being set amidst the contemporary backdrop of modern wars, the door is open for the military to take issue with the way its soldiers are depicted for comedic effect.
Mark Gordon is producing the project, which Amy Talkington is in discussions to write. She’s also writing the "Valley Girl" remake that’s in development at MGM, as well as "Queen of the Rodeo" for Fox and the Universal comedy "Devil in the Junior League." Expect a director to be announced shortly, as New Line will want to capitalize on Faris’ upcoming role in Mark Mylod’s R-rated romp "What’s Your Number?" which just added two more actors yesterday.
Hawn’s fearless performance earned her an Oscar nomination for her fearless performance (which is probably not in the cards for Faris, but you never know), as did co-star Eileen Brennan (supporting actress) and writers Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller (original screenplay).
