Preview by: Jack Foley
WE'VE had I-Spy, The Avengers, and Charlie's
Angels, so it was only a matter of time, I guess, before another
of TV's favourites were given a Big Screen revival.
Starsky and Hutch was, perhaps, the most successful cop programme
of the Seventies, featuring Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul
as the titular pair, solving a weekly crime in and around the
Los Angeles area.
The programme worked on several levels, from the central pairing,
to the cult Ford Torino the pair used to drive, right down to
their legendary informer, Huggy Bear (played by Antonio Fargas).
In fact, such is the programme's enduring appeal that TV re-runs
continue to draw big audiences (particularly in America), while
a London nightclub has successfully run a night using the Starsky
& Hutch banner.
Yet, as exciting, in principle, as the idea of a movie version
of the programme sounds, there are a number of reservations, most
notably due to the fact that very few of the aforementioned TV
to cinema translations have worked that well.
On the plus side, however, is the casting, which sounds inspired.
Ben Miller will take on the role of David Starsky, while Owen
Wilson will play Ken Hutchinson. Better yet, Snoop Dogg is to
play Huggy Bear, while the charismatic Vince Vaughan has been
cast as the villain. Carmen Electra is also rumoured to be in
talks for a promiment role.
The Warner Bros movie is to be directed by Todd Phillips, who
has proven quite adept at handling comedy with the likes of Road
Trip and the upcoming Old School. Needless to say, the film version
of the TV series is rumoured to be much lighter than the cop series
started out - harking back to the latter days of the series.
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In an interview with MTV.com, he revealed: "It predates
the show, oddly enough, even though the show took place back then.
We're updating the concept.
According to Phillips, the film will pre-date the TV series and
will take place in the present, telling the story of how the pair
came together.
"It's going to be a little bit more of a straight-ahead
comedy than an all-out action movie. It will be an action-comedy
with 'comedy' in capital letters."
However, while the hype builds around the film, particularly
in light of the first still being released, the project has already
been criticised by former cast member, David Soul, who claims
to be angry about not being involved in the revival.
Soul says he thinks Hollywood is only interested in the idea
because Stiller is 'flavour of the month' and, in an interview
with the Mail on Sunday, claims that the proposed film 'says a
lot about Hollywood today'.
"It's not about having a relationship with your audience
at all. It's about 'How do we sell stuff?
"Paul Michael Glaser and I are a part of the Starsky and
Hutch legacy, but we're not flavour of the month.
"They chose Ben Stiller because he's a hot property."
It remains to be seen whether the producers will make an about
turn and include either Soul or Glaser for a cameo, or whether
fans will accept the movie on its own terms, or stick by the comments
of its former stars and give it a wide berth.
Indielondon will bring you more news about the movie as next
year's release date gets closer...
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