- We’re happy that it didn’t take long for Kevin to come out and explain a bit more about the casting process for Fletch, and the reasons that the project is continuing on, even without Jason Lee in the lead role. Here’s Kevin:
…Chevy is not the mark from which we must start. Go read the books: Fletch is not Chevy Chase.
Go read the books: there IS no slap stick.
See, the thing is, thanks to “SNL”, [Jimmy] Fallon’s got a rabid fan-following. His college gigs are big draws just like [Adam] Sandler’s were, prior to his breaking out in movies.
In Harvey’s perspective, Lee has been the star of movies that didn’t open, nor go on to earn very much. So, actually, to Harvey, the unproven Jimmy Fallon is potentially worth taking a risk on, as he hasn’t struck out yet.
If you read the book, Ben [Affleck]’s actually the closest to the character. Lee’s definitely closer if you were doing the Chevy version of Fletch, but Ben – the REAL Ben, not a Ben you’ve seen onscreen or on talk shows before – is closest to the book version of Fletch. And the book version is the Fletch we’re making.
I love Lee. I can’t imagine anyone would doubt that, even now. I fought for Lee, for almost three years now (Harvey bough the Fletch library for us the night of the first “Bounce” test screening, which was long before I even had a first draft of “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”). And recently, I had Harvey in the best bargaining position of my entire nearly-ten year career, at which time, I forced the Lee-as-Fletch issue once again. And even then, he was still resolute.
And I’d said before “If it’s not Lee, I’m not doing it.” Said that for at least a year, hoping to send Miramax a clear message. They got the message, alright – but rather than relenting and giving Lee the greenlight, they were just going to let the option on the books lapse. And I’m sorry – I don’t want to see someone else making a Fletch flick that yet again doesn’t resemble the character in the books that have been so influential on my writing. So I opted to stay with the flick, minus Lee.
What can I say? I took a swing. Shit, I took a lot of swings. Had Miramax agreed to Lee, this flick would’ve been made BEFORE “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” But it just wasn’t to be.
So you’ve got two choices: either grumble about the Lee-less Fletch movie we’re going to make from now until the end of time, or open yourself up to the idea that maybe – just maybe – our Fletch flick is gonna be good, regardless of who gets cast.
Go read the books: there IS no slap stick.
See, the thing is, thanks to “SNL”, [Jimmy] Fallon’s got a rabid fan-following. His college gigs are big draws just like [Adam] Sandler’s were, prior to his breaking out in movies.
In Harvey’s perspective, Lee has been the star of movies that didn’t open, nor go on to earn very much. So, actually, to Harvey, the unproven Jimmy Fallon is potentially worth taking a risk on, as he hasn’t struck out yet.
If you read the book, Ben [Affleck]’s actually the closest to the character. Lee’s definitely closer if you were doing the Chevy version of Fletch, but Ben – the REAL Ben, not a Ben you’ve seen onscreen or on talk shows before – is closest to the book version of Fletch. And the book version is the Fletch we’re making.
I love Lee. I can’t imagine anyone would doubt that, even now. I fought for Lee, for almost three years now (Harvey bough the Fletch library for us the night of the first “Bounce” test screening, which was long before I even had a first draft of “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back”). And recently, I had Harvey in the best bargaining position of my entire nearly-ten year career, at which time, I forced the Lee-as-Fletch issue once again. And even then, he was still resolute.
And I’d said before “If it’s not Lee, I’m not doing it.” Said that for at least a year, hoping to send Miramax a clear message. They got the message, alright – but rather than relenting and giving Lee the greenlight, they were just going to let the option on the books lapse. And I’m sorry – I don’t want to see someone else making a Fletch flick that yet again doesn’t resemble the character in the books that have been so influential on my writing. So I opted to stay with the flick, minus Lee.
What can I say? I took a swing. Shit, I took a lot of swings. Had Miramax agreed to Lee, this flick would’ve been made BEFORE “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.” But it just wasn’t to be.
So you’ve got two choices: either grumble about the Lee-less Fletch movie we’re going to make from now until the end of time, or open yourself up to the idea that maybe – just maybe – our Fletch flick is gonna be good, regardless of who gets cast.
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