Eddie Murphy’s Comedy Remake Sounds Too Good To Be True (& Probably Is)

Summary

• Eddie Murphy plans to remake the comedy classic “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” with a star-studded ensemble cast.
• The original film featured an expansive cast of comedy legends, but a modern remake faces challenges in assembling such a large group.
• A successful remake could focus on a tight central cast and use the original’s approach of filling out margins with comedy legends.

Eddie Murphy is working towards remaking a comedy classic, even if it would be incredibly hard to actually pull off. Eddie Murphy has been a major comedy star for decades, rising to prominence while becoming a breakout star on Saturday Night Live. Since then, Eddie Murphy’s best movies have made him one of cinematic comedy’s most enduring actors. His latest ambition seems to be bringing of his personal favorites back to movie screens, recreating a sixty-year-old classic for a new generation.

It’d be an inherently difficult task, thanks to the sheer scope of the project and recent precedent set by similar comedies. However, the premise is a timeless vehicle for broad comedy that could recapture the joys of seeing an entire generation of comedy stars come together for a single project. It would also be an ideal way to bring renewed attention to one of the best Hollywood comedies ever produced, but it would need to avoid the mistakes that have haunted other recent comedies.

It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Is An Underappreciated Classic

Sixty Years Later, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Is Still A Hilarious Movie

It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World might be getting an Eddie Murphy-led remake, which could bring new attention to an underappreciated comedy classic. When career criminal Smiler Grogan is fatally injured in a car crash, his final words to the assorted witnesses reveal a cache of buried cash somewhere in the Santa Rosita State Park. The film then follows the assorted mishaps that the assorted characters experience while trying to beat one another to fortune. The film was a box-office and critical smash when it was released, even being nominated for six Academy Awards.

Part of the film’s appeal was the expansive cast of comedy stars. Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Hackett, Jonathan Winters, and Spencer Tracy are just some of the stars in the main cast, with a hall of fame roster of comedy legends filling out the supporting cast or appearing in cameos. However, as expected with many films released six decades ago, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World doesn’t have the same cultural impact as it once did. However, a remake could bring attention back to the original and put a modern spin on the concept.

Eddie Murphy’s Ensemble Cast Plan Makes His Remake Idea Unlikely To Happen

It’ll Be Tricky To Afford The Kind Of Comedy Cast Eddie Murphy Wants For It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Per an interview with the actor with ET Online, Eddie Murphy revealed he’s been working with the award-winning writer Jez Butterworth (who penned the scripts to films like Edge of Tomorrow, Ford v Ferrari, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). Murphy also explained that “if the script turns out right, it’s gonna be a cast of all the who’s who of comedians. Anybody that was funny over the last 30 years is going to be in this movie.” However, there’s inherently a challenge in bringing all that talent together for a single project.

To recapture the sheer scale of the original’s legendary cast, the new It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World‘s budget would be astronomical. There’s also the threat that such a large cast would negatively impact the film itself. This was a serious problem with Unfrosted, Jerry Seinfeld’s pop-tart comedy. The cast boasted some impressive comedy stars, but was so overstuffed with cameos and characters that few made a lasting impression. The critical drubbing that film received upon release makes it unlikely a film of the scope Murphy wants might be impossible.

Why A Modern Remake Of It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Could Actually Work

A Tight Focus & Timeless Premise Could Make A It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Remake Fun

There’s still potential in a It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World remake, however. The central premise of the film is a solid comedy vehicle for silly performances and comic digressions. What makes the original so much fun is the wacky central cast of characters, whose flaws and faults are played to a ridiculous degree to help push the chaos of the comedy to the next level. Keeping the focus on a strong central cast of characters and filling out the sidelines with other comedy stars can work. Murphy actually makes perfect sense for this kind of project, too.

Films like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F prove the actor still has a lot of comic energy, and would fit easily into the sort of madcap vibes that make It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World so much fun. If Murphy and Butterworth can keep the plot and most of the comedy focused on a tight central cast, then it can follow the original’s approach and fill out the margins with comedy legends. It would be a great to recapture the spirit of the original It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and help justify a remake.

Source:ET Online, Screen Rant