The 80s are big right now, with virtually every film that ever made any money during the decade currently in the works for a remake. The latest said to be up for another go around is Brewster’s Millions, the great Richard Pryor comedy about a man who inherits $300 million, but can only collect if he can get rid of $30 million in 30 days. However he’s not allowed have any assets to show for his spending, he can’t waste the money in any way, or tell anyone about the $300 million.
It’s a great idea for a high concept comedy and indeed the 1985 movie wasn’t the first time the George Barr’s novel has made it to the big screen. Originally published in 1902 and involving much smaller dollar amounts, the Richard Pryor film was actually the seventh time the story had hit the screen, starting with a 1914 silent version. There were also two other silent Brewster movies (including one that turned the main character into a woman), as well as screen versions in 1935, 1945 and 1961 (that time retitled Three On A Spree). In fact there’s can’t be that many tales that have inspired quite so many remakes.
The Hollywood Reporter is saying Michael Diliberti and Matthew Sullivan have been hired to write the new version. While the duo haven’t ever had a screeplay make it to the big screen, they do have a spec script, Comic-Con (a heist movie set at the legendary San Diego comics event), currently in the works, and it’s apparently that which has convinced Warner to hire them for Brewster’s.
To be honest, while most of the 80s films currently getting the update treatment seem superfluous, Brewster’s Millions is such a timeless tale it could well survive a another screen version.