Kevin Smith to Handle a Couple of Dicks?

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 2, 2009

As you know, we’ve got an unhealthy “thing” for Kevin Smith and all his works. And as excited as we may be to see his name attached to well, anything, we are also a little skeptical about a report that we are seeing over at ERC Box Office. They are reporting that Smith has been attached to the Warner Bros. production Couple of Dicks, based on a Black list script by Robb and Marc Cullen. The film will tell the story of “two veteran LAPD detectives attempt to track down a stolen, mint-condition, 1952 baseball card.” They’re also reporting that the film has a confirmed release date of January 29, 2010.

What is most interesting about this news is that it would be Smith’s first major studio film since he made Mallrats with the folks at Gramercy and Universal back in 1995. All of his other directorial works have been made under the various Weinstein labels (Miramax, Dimension, The Weinstein Co.), with the exception of the completely independent Clerks, which was later purchased by the Weinstein-led Miramax banner. Also interesting is the fact that Smith is not writing the film, which is said to star Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan as the buddy cops. This would make for the first Kevin Smith directed film that wasn’t also written by the man himself. That is what puts us into a slightly skeptical state regarding this report. That said, the general pitch on the film doesn’t feel like much — Bruce Willis and Tracey Morgan as buddy cops tracking down a baseball card? Sounds a little kitschy.

All of this also overshadows Smith’s desire to get his horror comedy Red State up and running. Though in fairness is wouldn’t be a terrible idea for him to do something a little more commercial before heading back to his usual indie fare. It could also help add some confidence for financial backers, allowing Smith to make Red State his way. Lest we forget that even Zack and Miri didn’t kill at the box office, even with a higher profile cast. So from where I’m sitting, this could be a smart decision for Smith, assuming it is something he can turn into a solid flick. Of course none of this is even remotely confirmed — we’re all still waiting to hear word from the man himself. We’ll keep you updated.

Do you think a project like this would prove successful for Kevin Smith?

Read more articles by Neil Miller