There’s A Remake of Uptown Saturday Night On the Way, and Kevin Hart May Be the Star of It
Things are certainly going up for Kevin Hart. The Philadelphia-bred actor and comedian is said to be in negotiations to star in the upcoming remake of the 1970s action-comedy film Uptown Saturday Night, Variety reports.
Written by Richard Wesley, the 1974 production is led by Sidney Poitier, who also directed, with co-stars Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte accompanying. The acclaimed film follows two friends, Poitier and Cosby, as they head out to enjoy a night of fun at a local club, only to later find themselves victims of a stick-up. After one of the robbers confiscates Poitier’s character’s wallet, the friends soon realize that the wallet actually holds a winning lottery ticket worth $50,000. As a result, the fellas set out to retrieve it, but trouble ensues.
Originally distributed by Warner Bros., after years of a remake project in the making, the studio is teaming with Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith’s entertainment company, Overbrook Entertainment, to move forward with those plans, possibly tapping Kevin Hart for a starring role.
While Will Smith and Denzel Washington were initially in place to take on the characters of Poitier and Cosby, busy schedules conflicted, and Smith decided to serve as a producer instead. The Bright actor is producing alongside Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter, with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris writing the most recent draft.
Although Hart is looked at for the lead, a co-star has yet to be cast. At this time, no further details are available.
Who do you think would make a good co-star in the Uptown Saturday Night remake?