“White Men Can’t Jump”
Picture and start date for the Disney “Remix”
Jack Harlow (left) and Sinqua Walls in Disney’s “White Men Can’t Jump”.
© 2023 20th Century Studios
“White Men Can’t Jump” launches on Disney+ in May. The first picture of the remake of the cult comedy with Woody Harrelson is already here.
Disney+ and 20th Century Studios have announced the launch date of White Men Can’t Jump. The remake of the 1992 cult comedy of the same name starts on May 19, 2023 on Disney+. A first picture was also published. It shows the main actors Jack Harlow (24) and Sinqua Walls (37), apparently heading towards the basketball court.
Cult film with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes
The makers themselves do not describe their film as a remake, but as a “remix” of the original, which was released in German cinemas as “Weiße Jungs geht’s nicht”. Woody Harrelson (61) played the former college basketball player Billy, who now rips off African-American streetball players who do not trust the white boy to be capable. Wesley Snipes played Sidney as one of those black street basketball players who sometimes works with Billy and sometimes rips him off.
In the “White Men Can’t Jump” remix, Jack Harlow takes on the role of Harrelson, here named Jeremy instead of Billy. For the successful rapper (“First Class”) it is the debut as an actor. Kamal, the Wesley Snipes counterpart, plays Sinqua Walls (“Friday Night Lights”). It is not yet known how closely the story is based on the 30-year-old model.
The first trailer meets with little approval
A day before the first scene, 20th Century Studios has already released a teaser. In the short clip, the focus is primarily on the main characters’ quarrels, which result from the culture clash between black and white. Among other things, they argue about whether Paul Thomas Anderson (52, “There Will Be Blood”) or Spike Lee (65, “Do the Right Thing”) is the best living director in the USA.
At YouTube the trailer has met with little enthusiasm so far. “The most unnecessary remake in Hollywood history. It’s going to be a massive flop,” writes one user. The original and the chemistry between Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes cannot be topped, so the tenor on YouTube.