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April 28, 2009

Drop Dead Fred Remake To Feature More Leather Pants

thumbnail icon: Drop Dead Fred Remake To Feature More Leather Pants

Guys, they're remaking Drop Dead Fred. I have no idea why since that movie was perfect. From Hollywood Reporter:

Universal Pictures is resurrecting the 1991 comedy "Drop Dead Fred," this time as a starring vehicle for comedian Russell Brand.

The original starred Phoebe Cates as a wallflower who loses her job and husband during a lunch hour. Forced to move back with her mother, she's reunited with her childhood imaginary friend (Brit actor Rik Mayall), who promises to help but causes more havoc.

Sure. Whose childhood imaginary friend didn't dress like an extra from a Rob Schneider comedy about the merch table at heavy metal concerts (Merch at the Roxbury) and make his living off of bawdy memoirs about his sex life and drug abuse? Kids will think of anything.

Actually, I just rewatched the trailer, and the costume is literally the only thing that's going to change:

Rik Mayall was clearly the Russell Brand of 1991. Seriously, so easy to imagine them just CGI'ing Brand right into those old scenes. Welcome back, Phoebe Cates. Now you are re-famous.

Is that in the script? IMAGINARY FRIEND MUST BE PLAYED BY LEWD ENGLISHMAN. Probably wasn't necessary. They just had a casting meeting and everyone was like, "OK, it's an imaginary friend, so obviously he has an English accent. That's how you know he's make believe. Is Dudley Moore available?"

Hollywood should change it's name to Geniuswood, because they just get it.

Posted by Gabe at 9:30 AM in
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31 Comments

Russell Brand FTLoss.

Posted by: inglorius basTURD profile link at 04/28/09 9:53 AM  | Reply
Score = 10 Vote up Vote down

My knee-jerk reaction is to pull out my hair and scream like a harpy because I loved that movie as a kid, but rewatching the trailer makes me think otherwise. Seriously, I must've hated my parents as a child to make them sit through that with me as many times as I did. This remake is like Russian doll of bad ideas. Yikes.

Posted by: benjamin profile link at 04/28/09 10:06 AM  | Reply
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Ditto... I loved this movie and watched the shit out of it, but haven't thought of it in years. Holy balls, was I that unintelligent as a child?

Posted by: glass_family profile link  in reply to  benjamin's comment at 04/28/09 12:51 PM  | Reply
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This is literally the worst news. The original may be some insane shit, but it is sacred insane shit.

Posted by: adrienne profile link at 04/28/09 10:09 AM  | Reply
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i think the casting meeting went the other way around: either a studio has a contract with Russell Brand and couldn't think beyond the vhs shelf at their local video rental store, or someone really believes they'll hit the cash cow by putting the two together.

Posted by: alull profile link at 04/28/09 10:14 AM  | Reply
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People need to stop calling Russell Brand a comedian. They need to start calling him Prisoner #1 in The Worst Jail.

Posted by: Erin at 04/28/09 10:15 AM  | Reply
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Is that the "Sweet Daddy Bear" girl?

Posted by: sarcasticmeow profile link at 04/28/09 10:17 AM  | Reply
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If Carrie Fisher is in this one I don't think I can say no.

Posted by: apesofmath profile link at 04/28/09 10:18 AM  | Reply
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Russel Brand is also going to be in the Universal remake of Arthur - Real Talk.

Posted by: jacob666 profile link at 04/28/09 10:36 AM  | Reply
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I don't understand all this Russell Brand hate. He's a funny guy and I like him (for the record, I have not seen Drop Dean Fred, but you know, it's not his fault they're remaking it). Can we just go back to bashing Dane Cook and Jeff Dunham, please? K thanks.

Posted by: Violet A. profile link at 04/28/09 10:42 AM  | Reply
Score = 9 Vote up Vote down

Rik Mayall will always be Flashheart to me. If they decided to re-make Blackadder with Russell Brand, then I'll get my outrage on.

Posted by: Ashley profile link at 04/28/09 11:01 AM  | Reply
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WHY WHY WHY?

Posted by: cassis profile link at 04/28/09 11:17 AM  | Reply
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I get the boredom with hollywood's lack of new ideas but why is it that people get so upset about remakes? It's not like they're destroying every copy of the original. You don't like the idea of a remake, you don't see it.

Posted by: sarah palin at 04/28/09 11:17 AM  | Reply
Score = 5 Vote up Vote down

Russell Brand is funny. I know if you haven't seen Ponderland or anything beyond Sarah Marshall then he might seem obnoxious and you might feel inclined to hate him, but go check out Ponderland or his appearances on Letterman even. You will enjoy. Or not.

Posted by: Matt at 04/28/09 12:42 PM  | Reply
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Russell Brand is great and why should I be so attached to a 90s movie I forgot about?

Posted by: judasconstant profile link at 04/28/09 1:06 PM  | Reply
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While we're doing remakes, how about a remake of The Skateboard Kid?

Posted by: Jared at 04/28/09 1:38 PM  | Reply
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Peter Cook would do it right.

Posted by: meesh at 04/28/09 2:11 PM  | Reply
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Russell Brand is my boyfriend and I love him.

Posted by: kate profile link at 04/28/09 2:40 PM  | Reply
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I would watch Russell Brand sink Carrie Fisher's houseboat any day.

Drop Dead Fred is going onto the list of movies I watched a million times as a kid despite not getting more than half the jokes. My seven-year-old self must've thought that woman was real embarrassed for forgetting to wear panties.

Posted by: Girl Friday profile link at 04/28/09 2:42 PM  | Reply
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It wasn't a houseboat, it was a river condominium.

Posted by: gijyun  in reply to  Girl Friday's comment at 04/28/09 5:47 PM  | Reply
Score = 4 Vote up Vote down

I remember when this came out and the next weekend at recess I almost got into a fist fight with a kid who dared to say it was better than Beetlejuice. And by the way, if THAT ever gets remade I'm storming Burbank with an AK47.

Posted by: zik at 04/28/09 3:29 PM  | Reply
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This is terrible! I'm going to eat Russel Brand's head and then POO HIM all over the table!

Posted by: Bucket Head profile link at 04/28/09 5:01 PM  | Reply
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Russel Brand aside for a second, I think drop dead fred has gotten way out of control! Seriously.

Posted by: Ben at 04/28/09 6:14 PM  | Reply
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Russel Brand > Swine flu

Posted by: Bad tings ah gwan profile link at 04/28/09 9:50 PM  | Reply
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I would like to point out that just 3-ish weeks ago I pointed out in Hunt that you should review Drop Dead Fred. I did not know it was being remade, which proves I instinctualistically have my finger on the pulse of stupid.
Other movies I paid to see and almost walked out of (except I paid, dammit) : Invisible Man with Chevy Chase, Cool World with Brad Pitt.
Movies I knew to avoid, and then eventually saw anyway, and thought "Oh God I was right" : Benjamin Button.

Posted by: hotspur profile link at 05/04/09 3:18 PM  | Reply
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Yeah, everyone is always talking about how Drop Dead Fred fell short of its full potential. DDF was the at the top of his class until he got into drugs between his junior and senior years, metaphorically. Such a shame the movie was critically and commercially rejected, because otherwise it could have been really good. A Drug Rehab Treatment is needed here...

Posted by: timada profile link at 07/03/09 8:55 PM  | Reply
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To be honest, I liked the movie. I found it funny and entertaining. I would like to have a similar imaginary friend. :) Would make my life happier and crazier. :P We don't need only artistic metaphoric movies... And after all this is a movie that shows the silliness of the adult life that floats between sexual frustrations and Valium.

Posted by: Ada profile link at 07/04/09 7:50 PM  | Reply
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This is fcking bullshit. I am pissed. Drop Dead Fred was perfect and Russell Brand's faggot ass is going to ruin it's name.

Posted by: Mell at 08/21/09 7:36 PM  | Reply
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This is fucking bullshit. I am pissed. Drop Dead Fred was perfect and Russell Brand's faggot ass is going to ruin it's name.

Posted by: Mell at 08/21/09 7:37 PM  | Reply
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This is fucking bullshit. I am pissed. Drop Dead Fred was perfect and Russell Brand's faggot ass is going to ruin it's name.

Posted by: Mell at 08/21/09 7:37 PM  | Reply
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bullshit, the old movie was AMAZING, trailer doesnt do it justice, trailer makes it look shit, I watched this movie just last week and its timeless and fucking hilarious, if you havent seen it in years look it up

Posted by: Sean Alexander at 09/07/09 11:04 AM  | Reply
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