A ‘Drop Dead Fred’ Remake Starring Russell Brand? Meh, Okay

Posted by Rob Hunter (rob@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 28, 2009

How can you not be on board now?

Universal is on a remake roll this week… after yesterday’s announcement of their gloriously stupid plans to remake David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, word has come down today that they’ve found another utterly original and uncompromising vision to reimagine…

Just kidding. But The Hollywood Reporter is threatening that Universal will be remaking Ate de Jong’s Drop Dead Fred, the 1991 comedy stinker starring Phoebe Cates (red bikini) and Rik Mayall (The Young Ones). The film is about a young woman whose life begins to unravel both professionally and socially until her imaginary childhood friend reappears in her life… and proceeds to make things even worse. Universal is catering the title role for Russell Brand’s (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) particular form of comic mayhem. The plan is to focus more on the concept of imaginary friends and where they come from, where they go, and why they’re all British.

This should be an interesting case for remake reactionaries. (I’m looking at you AngryBroomstick!) Remakes aren’t inherently a bad thing (The Thing, The Fly), and if a film can be improved upon in some noticeable way then a remake should be welcomed by film fans. Drop Dead Fred is a bad movie. Painfully unfunny and annoying even. Sure sure, some people may call it “perfect” but these same people also go to bed with a different “imaginary friend” every night so there’s probably a conflict of interest there somewhere… The original script was lacking in humor to the degree that even Mayall couldn’t save it from being nothing more than ninety minutes of frustration. Brand has his detractors, but he’s also pretty damn funny at times so the trick will be finding a script that captures his style and wit without overdoing it. Bottom line, if a redux can improve on the laughs and find a leading lady as delightful as Cates then I say go for it.

Yay or nay for a Drop Dead Fred remake?


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  • I'm one of the idiots that loves the original, so I was semi-disappointed at the news.

    But then I had to search for images to make that header, and wading through pictures of Russell Brand is like looking at Ric Mayall's pictures after he dyed his hair black. I'm pretty sure it would be pretty funny to watch him absent-mindedly throw mud on someone.
  • David G
    Another movie I liked as a kid, but wonder why now that Im older. Just the kid in me, I guess. Plus it had Phoebe Cates.
  • no no no. fuck this Brand cat. Rik Mayall cannot be topped. They should scrap this and do a Bottom feature instead.
  • HempKnight 757
    I liked it as a kid, but now looking back def. not as funny. I saw this coming from a mile away & after the Sandler movie he did he might consider making some money of the children like Rogen and others.
  • I loved the original with Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall. Carrie Fisher, Marsha Mason and Tim Matheson as the scum bag husband. Hint, the original movie had charm and wonder. It's the female verison of Little Monsters!
  • HempKnight 757
    Little monsters was my shit, but you shouldnt have even said that because now their going to come out with an action adventure non-comedy with Shia LaBuf the homo (however it is spelled).
  • loved it as a kid. F the remake. pretty sure that guy was Australian, Rob.
  • Possibly, but Australians are just Brits with felony records so I stand by the comment.
  • Kangaroo Be Stoned
    I remember watching Drop Dead Fred when I was a child. It was quite amusing. I don't want to see a remake.
  • you're not the only one...what's up with Russell Brand and all the unnecessary remakes?...I mean Get Him To The Greek and Pirates 4 I could see watching....he's an original sort of comic you'd think he want to do his own new movies....I enjoy his stand up and he seems like a talented comedic actor...he might just be a little too hungry for a paycheck rather than establishing a film career
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