Blame The Karate Kid. Remakes of 1980/1990s nostalgia-driven movies were already a hot property in Hollywood but thanks to Jaden Smith and his kung fu powers hitting it big at the box office (and, to a lesser degree, The A-Team), the hunger for possible titles to throw onto the retread conveyer belt is only going to grow. And while the movie was likely being targeted even before this weekend’s results, you can add Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead to the list of films now being retooled.
As Pajiba’s source reports, the 1991 comedy, directed by Stephen Herek, saw the Crandell family of three kids left alone with an elderly babysitter when their mother decides to head off on a three-month holiday without her chaotic clan.
Initially, the kids, led by eldest Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) see this as an opportunity to do whatever they like. But Mrs Sturak (Eda Reiss Merin) proves to be more sergeant major than Werther’s Original, banning TV and forcing them to behave. Until, that is, she croaks. Cue the fun! Oh, and a little bonding, because Hollywood never tires of telling us how to be better family members.
Don't Tell Mom... is one of those movies that crops up from time to time as a likely remake, but never quite seems to make it. Right now, it’s just in development at The Mark Gordon Company and doesn’t even have so much as a script in place as executives are sniffing out writers to get something on paper. It also lacks a director, a cast and any studio backing. So don’t count it as anywhere near happening just yet. But like we said before – now that there’s success blood in the water, the sharks will be circling a little faster…