“Ride Along” director Tim Story will helm New Line’s upcoming “Shaft” reboot, TheWrap has learned.
The film is being produced by John Davis, Ira Napoliello and “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, who wrote the script with Alex Barnow.
Story broke out with 2002’s “Barbershop,” starring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson. He is best known for directing the “Ride Along” and “Think Like a Man” franchises, and also dipped into the Marvel Universe, helming the 2007 Fox superhero film “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” His most recent project was stand-up comedy concert film “Kevin Hart: What Now?” which made $23.6 million at the domestic box office.
“Shaft” isn’t just a niche cult classic — it’s a franchise that’s had notable financial success.
MGM’s original “Shaft,” a 1971 blaxploitation film with Richard Roundtree as private detective John Shaft and a soundtrack provided by legendary crooner Isaac Hayes, took in $13 million at the box office on an estimated $500,000 budget. A 2000 John Singleton-directed sequel with Samuel L. Jackson in the title role also featured Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale and Busta Rhymes. It opened atop the box office and took in $107 million worldwide on an estimated $46 million budget.
Story is represented by UTA and attorney Matt Johnson at Ziffren Brittenham LLP.