New Line Cinemas, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. entertainment, has acquired the rights 1970s class Shaft and are planning to reboot the franchise.
John Davis has been pulled on board for producing, but that is all that is known so far in the early stages of this project.
This isn’t the first reboot for the brand. Samuel L. Jackson starred in a Shaft film 15 years ago, acting as the nephew of the original detective portrayed by Richard Roundtree.
It is unclear what the new storyline will be, as no screenwriting has taken place yet. Whether the film will continue down the family tree or revert back to the original character is still to be seen. But one thing is almost certain: the original theme song, which may be more iconic than the character, is sure to make an appearance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFvRvSxsW-I
With black inequality in film taking center stage as an issue in the last few years, and a wealth of actors to choose from to star in the leading roll, it will be interesting to see who is chosen to revive the brand.
This could certainly be a major opportunity for whoever is chosen, especially if New Line decides that to turn this into a franchise series. For that to happen, however, the initial film will have to be a success.