Rebel Wilson will star in an upcoming remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Scoundrels was a remake of Bedtime Story. Bedtime Story is a film older than 1980, so younger readers probably don’t even know it exists. If you’ve never seen Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, it’s a film about Michael Caine and a slightly dim Steve Martin’s efforts to rip off an heiress and considered by many to be a classic. Will the film include a moment for Rebel Wilson to sing or pratfall? Probably. This is where you normally expect a joke about a larger actress, but that’s not what we do here.
Wilson is not a stranger to remakes. The once and future Fat Amy has been circling the Private Benjamin remake for half past forever. While Wilson’s talents might work far better in that film, Scoundrels might be a treat if she’s paired with the right talent. Throwing a straight-laced Brit ala Lucy Punch or Catherine Tate might be invoking the original too much. If you throw in an American, then you have to walk the line of whether she is too old or inappropriate for the role. So many people forget that Caine and Martin weren’t related in the 1988 film. They were just two dingbats teaming up for some white collar crime on the Riviera.
Some fans might be concerned about the gender swapping trend continuing to gain momentum in the American studio system. Honestly, who cares? If the audience really hates it, then they’ll stop watching and economically kill this material faster than an African American-centric Honeymooners. But, wordplay and higher brow comedy doesn’t tend to bring out the fanboys like tales of laser streams and Slimers. If there is a chance that a gender swapped Dirty Rotten Scoundrels could raise a few eyebrows, then send in a link. Seriously, blast it on social media and other venues. The world needs the lulz.