Reboots of classic films are either a hit or a terrible miss, but with LeBron James and Atlanta writers steering the ship, this remake of House Party looks promising already.
The Cavs all-star and his business partner Maverick Carter are producing the House Party reboot through their company Springhill Entertainment, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The project will be a revival of the 1990s classic that starred hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play. The original film was followed by two sequels, one in 1991 and another in 1994. The third rendition of the franchise, House Party 3, also starred R&B trio TLC.
Donald Glover’s brother and Atlanta writer Stephen Glover will be composing the screenplay alongside fellow Atlanta writer Jamal Olori.
“This is definitely not a reboot. It’s an entirely new look for a classic movie,” LeBron told THR. “Everyone I grew up with loved House Party. To partner with this creative team to bring a new House Party to a new generation is unbelievable.”
The original House Party has a 96 percent critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was accompanied by a successful soundtrack released through Motown Records. LeBron plans to meet the high bar set by the original with a star-studded cast that could also include popular musicians like the original. “We’re trying out some ideas for musicians to be cast in and to be a part of the project,” Maverick Carter said, adding that there could be a cameo by LeBron. “There’s no plan for it now, but he’s a fantastic actor, and if he wants a role, Stephen will find a great role to put him in."
In addition to the House Party reboot, Springhill is helping on a number of other projects including Drake’s crime drama Top Boy and Vince Carter documentary The Carter Effect. Their slate also includes a Netflix series about Madam C.J. Walker starring Octavia Butler, a documentary series Warriors of Liberty City coming through Starz about a youth football team in Florida, and the NBC game show The Wall. The company is also expected to produce a Space Jam reboot, but that’s “a ways off,” according to Carter.
Meanwhile, Atlanta is gearing up for its season two debut. The show that took home accolades during the 2017 award show season is coming back to FX on March 1.
