Since buying the remake rights to the film in 2002, Will Smith has been trying to develop a new version of Sidney Poitier's 1974 comedy Uptown Saturday Night - and now Denzel Washington may well jump aboard the percolating pic.

The original, which Poitier directed and in which he starred alongside Bill Cosby, followed the misadventures of two friends who sneak out of their homes to visit a legendary - yet illegal - nightclub.

But when the place is held up, and their wallets are taken, the pair must recover a winning lottery ticket that was lurking within Cosby's wallet.

Sadly for Smith, and despite sounding like a possible all-star African American Ocean's Eleven-style romp, very little has happened on the project since, even though Smith had talked with Eddie Murphy and (shudder) Martin Lawrence about co-starring.

Now, however, Pajiba's sources say things could be heating up again with word that Washington might just be the man to help make it happen, and Washington has spoken about a possible collaboration with Smith.

Warners has recently started touting the job of rewriting the most recent draft of the script, which was penned by Cop Out's Mark and Robb Cullen, which signifies at least a little more interest in getting the wheels turning again.

Of course, even with superstars the calibre of Smith and Washington aboard, nothing is certain: given their busy schedules and the tough nature of development, Uptown could just as soon wander back into limbo. It sounds like a lot of fun, though….