Been awhile since I've read/heard anything about this flick.
Last we wrote anything about it, almost the entire original starring cast of Charlie Matthau's adaptation of Elmore Leonard's crime novel "Freaky Deaky," had been replaced!
Initially announced in early June 2011, the film's starring cast was to include Craig Robinson, Matt Dillon and Brendan Fraser. Later last summer, all 3 actors were replaced with Michael Jai White, Billy Burke, and Christian Slater, respectively.
The synopsis for the 1988 book reads:
Starting and ending with a bang, we meet a vivid group of characters who are mainly veterans of the 1960s: Chris Mankowski, 38-year-old Detroit police sergeant, newly transferred from the bomb squad to sex crimes; Donnell Lewis, ex-Black Panther now working as a driver, nursemaid and would-be swindler; Skip Gibbs, now a movie dynamite expert; and others, including Greta Wyatt, stagenamed Ginger Jones, who meets Chris when she reports that she's been assaulted. When Chris pursues the investigation, he is suspended from the force because the suspect is a man with clout; Now determined to get to the bottom of things, Chris is caught up in a web of scams plotted by Skip and Donnell for starters.
Dillon was to play Chris Mankowski, but the role will now go to Billy Burke; Fraser was to play Skip Gibbs, and will now be replaced by Christian Slater; and Craig Robinson was to play will play Donnell Lewis, the ex-Black Panther, a role that will now go to Michael Jai White.
By the way, Gloria Hendry also co-stars.
I haven't read Leonard's book, but it was reported that Matthau's script takes "plenty of dramatic liberties," decisions that reportedly all had Leonard's approval.
Freaky Deaky premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday; I'll be seeing it at a later screening this week.
As an FYI, Quentin Tarantino is said to have been interested in adapting the book to film before Matthau's current attempt.
Announced yesterday, sales company Shoreline has picked up international rights to the film following its sold-out premiere at Tribeca 2 days ago.
Meanwhile, Paradigm is handling North American rights.
Check out a clip below:
Trailer provided by Video Detective
