White Men Can't Jump is a classic 90s sports comedy. Woody Harrelson stars as Billy, a streetball hustler who lets his opponents underestimate him because he's white. He forms an unlikely partnership with Sidney (Wesley Snipes) and the two become a renowned streetball pairing. However, Billy must balance his gambling with his home life. The film did well, finishing as the 16th highest-grossing film of 1992. Furthermore, it holds a 77% critics score and a 68% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Talk of a remake has been around since 2017, with Blake Griffin attached as a producer. However, the talk became reality when Jack Harlow was cast in 2022. White Men Can't Jump is the directorial debut of music video and commercial director Calmatic. Written by black-ish showrunner Kenya Barris, Sinqua Walls (American Soul, The Blackening) will co-star alongside Harlow. DJ Drama is responsible for the film's soundtrack.
"White Men Can't Jump" Blends Nostalgia And Originality
The trailer released by Hulu paints broad similarities with the 90s original. Kamal (Walls) is a streetball player who is shown up by Harlow's unassuming and as-yet-unnamed character. The two team up to hustle local streetball games, while both balancing their respective home lives. Kamal is seen as a liability while Harlow is viewed as a directionless hustler. In a reference to the original being 32 years old, Harlow quips that it's "outdated" to judge his hoops ability on him being white. The late Lance Reddick briefly appears as Kamal's father, who suffers from MS. The film also highlights performances by Teyana Taylor and Laura Harrier.
However, the biggest change from the original film appears to be the end goal. In the original, it's a game against two streetball legends. The remake appears to build towards a flashy streetball tournament with a $500,000 prize. Additionally, it's clear from the trailer that the roles have been swapped somewhat, with Wall's Kamal being the central character. However, Harlow does not appear to play second fiddle, being given time to shine outright. The trailer pitches a fun remake of a 90s classic, with big-name stars and an updated feel. White Man Can't Jump lands on Hulu on May 19.
[via]
