According to CinemaBlend, “Uptown Saturday Night” is being remade at the behest and will of Will Smith.
Smith originally got the rights to the 1974 film starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby in 2002, and the script was being written by “Cop Out” writers Mark and Robb Cullen. At one point, Denzel Washington was rumored to be attached to the project. But that was a year ago.
Since then, the Cullens have since been replaced by Tim Dowling. The rumor’s still out that Smith (who will also be producing the film through his company Overbrook Entertainment) and Washington will star in the remake, but again, it’s still a rumor. A highly plausible rumor, but a rumor nonetheless.
The original featured Poitier and Cosby playing two buddies who realize one of their wallets–which contains a winning lottery ticket–is missing, causing them to traipse all over New York City on a quest to find it.
If anyone should play the roles, it’d probably be Smith and Washington, but personally, I’d like to see two other black actors get a break. There’s plenty of young actors who could probably do just as well–if not better–in the roles as Washington and Smith. Just my two cents.