It’s been so long since there were real signs of life from the attempt to reboot the Fletch comedy films, we’d begun to wonder if it had truly slipped away and was destined to live only in limbo. But here comes a set of beeps on the ol’ development monitor, with word that Jason Sudeikis is in talks to take the role made famous by Chevy Chase{
Hollywood has been trying to find a new Fletch for years, going through the likes of Kevin Smith, who long tried to make a new take on the investigative reporter with Ben Affleck, Zach Braff or Jason Lee in the role. Others have come and gone since, and Warner Bros. picked up the rights to the Gregory McDonald mystery novels in 2011, setting various writers the task of cracking a script for Fletch Won, which is aimed at re-introducing the character for a new audience.
David List, who is the McDonald estate’s representative and a producer on any potential film, decided to give it a go himself, and has apparently crafted a draft that the studio likes and which caught Sudeikis’ attention. He’ll have big shoes, hats, shirts and potentially towels to fill if his take on Fletch does hit the screen: the character has become closely identified with Chase even though the new movie is said to be closer to the books than either 1985’s Fletch or 1989’s Fletch Lives. Sudeikis certainly has the smarmy charm to give it a decent shot.
The next step will be to find a director who can help bring the movie to life. Sudeikis, meanwhile, scored a big hit with We’re The Millers and will next be seen in Horrible Bosses 2, which will be out here on November 28.