‘Clue’ Remake With Ryan Reynolds Now In The Hands Of ‘The Muppets’ Director James Bobin
It’s been two years since we heardRyan Reynoldswasproducing a new adaptationof the classic murder mystery board gameCluefromDeadpoolwritersRhett ReeseandPaul Wernick. Since then,Jason Batemanboarded the projectas director, but unfortunately, his commitment to the Netflix seriesOzarkwill keep him from following through. Now the project set up at the newly branded 20th Century Studios has brought on a new filmmaker from Disney’s neck of the woods:The MuppetsdirectorJames Bobin.
Varietyhas word on the newClueremake director stepping up to take the reins from Jason Bateman. Even though James Bobin’s most recent film wasDora and the Lost City of Goldat Paramount Pictures, the director was previously comfy at Disney, having helmedThe Muppets, the disappointing sequelMuppets Most Wanted, and the fantasy sequelAlice Through the Looking Glass.
That might sound like a resume that only gets worse as it goes on, but don’t underestimate James Bobin as a comedic director. He’s also been behind 11 episodes of the hilarious HBO seriesFlight of the Conchords, not to mention 16 episodes ofDa Ali G Showwith Sacha Baron Cohen. So he knows how to direct good comedy for adult audiences.
At the same time, it’s a shame we won’t get to see how Bateman handles a major studio comedy like this, especially since his feature debutBad Wordsshowed some promise. Bateman has certainly proven he has skills behind the camera recently, earning Emmy nominations for directing, as well as a nod from the Director’s Guild of America Awards, all for his work on the Netflix seriesOzark. Bateman was also planning on having a role inClue, but if his schedule will keep him from directing the movie, he likely doesn’t have time to have a role in the movie now either.
Thankfully, 20th Century Studios intends to surround Ryan Reynolds with a lot of high-profile talent. Could we be looking at a Murderer’s Row of comedic talent akin to the all-star cast assembled forKnives OutorMurder on the Orient Express? That would be amazing. After all, the original 1985 adaptation ofCluehad some of the best talent of the 1980s with Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn and Martin Mull playing the characters from the board game. I can only imagine what kind of high profile talent Reynolds could assemble from his famous friends.
There’s potential in aClueremake, but it still has a lot to live up to since the original is considered a comedy classic. It was rather innovative at the time of release because it featured three different endings in theaters. It didn’t help the movie become a box office draw, earning less than $15 million, but the movie became a hit on home video where all three endings were included at the end, making the conclusion even zanier. We’re very interested in seeing how this new version ofClueapproaches things.
No release date forClueis set yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
