We just reported this morning that former SNL star Adam Sandler swept the Razzie Awards, taking home seven wins, namely for his terrible cross-dressing comedy Jack and Jill — in which the actor played twin siblings with opposing personalities. This hasn’t humbled the unfunny comedian or stopped him from pressing on, and THR reports that Sandler’s set his sights on a remake for his next big project. The star’s production banner Happy Madison is currently negotiating a deal to produce Paramount’s Summer School remake.
The 1987 high school slacker comedy starred Mark Harmon (and a young Kirstie Alley and Courtney Thorne-Smith) as a gym teacher forced to spend summer with a group of misunderstood goofballs. The project has been stuck in development hell, with Paramount almost catching a break twice with Smurfs producer Jordan Kerner and Star Trek writers/producers Alex Kurtzman and Rob Orci. Those incarnations would have apparently been a change from the original movie, making Harmon’s teacher a bit of a sour puss versus the laid back dude the actor portrayed. “By bringing aboard Sandler and [Happy Madison partner] Giaraputo, the studio is signaling that it hopes to bring a more comedic focus to the project,” THR shares. They still have a hope of pulling that off if Sandler stays off the cast list. Maybe.
The original film isn’t exactly cinematic gold, but it’s a light and mostly amusing story that fans of 1980’s comedies enjoy looking back on. If things pan out, will the Sandler curse continue for Summer School?