Jon Hamm’s Best Movie Finally Getting A Sequel?
Jon Hamm's Confess, Fletch director is already working on a Confess, Fletch 2.
Jon Hamm maybe one of the most handsome men on the planet, but outside of starring in Mad Men he’s been mostly a supporting player in hit movies, including Top Gun: Maverick and Baby Driver. That changed in 2022 when Hamm starred in Confess, Fletch, reviving the long-dormant Chevy Chase franchise from the graveyard of the 80’s. Director Greg Mottola has hinted on Instagram that he’s working on a sequel, Confess, Fletch 2, despite the small fact that it hasn’t been greenlit by the studio.
The first film saw Fletch accused of committing murder while investigating stolen paintings, relying on his charm and slightly-trained detective instincts to sift through the vast list of suspects. Among his co-stars are Roy Wood Jr., Lorenzo Izza, Marcia Gay Harden, Kyle MacLachlan, and John Slattery. John Hamm will likely return for Confess, Fletch 2 but given the evolving nature of the story, he may bethe only returning cast member if it does happen.
Confess, Fletch was not a big-budget film, but with its modest goals, the movie still managed to earn over $650,000 at the box office (via BoxOfficeMojo) during a limited release, before debuting on Showtime. Since then, the film received positive reviews from critics with most citing Jon Hamm’s charming screen presence as the highlight of the film. Confess, Fletch 2 may be renamed to Fletch’s Fortune, the book in Mottola’s post, which is the next book in the series.
The novels by Gregory Mcdonald were published for two decades, starting in 1974 with Fletch and not ending until 1994 with Fletch Reflected, featuring the son of the detective. Confess, Fletch 2 will likely pick up where the first film left off, with Fletch living off of the sale of the paintings from the first film before getting roped into an international spy mystery.
Originally a pair of films starring Chevy Chase in 1985 and 1989, the Fletch franchise was dormant for 33 years until Jon Hamm stepped into the shoes of the clueless detective. Fletch and Fletch Lives were comedic successes for the former Saturday Night Live star, earning $50 million and $39.4 million respectively. Jon Hamm’s Confess, Fletch 2 might have the same distribution of the first film, with a limited theatrical release followed by streaming on every platform available.
Jon Hamm’s brand new, comedy franchise, which will hopefully continue with Confess, Fletch 2, is perfect for the man once thought to play a live-action Sterling Archer. Other films of Hamm’s, including his starring role in Million-Dollar Arm, have usually either short-changed the talented actor with a small role as “cop” or “authority figure,” while not leaning into his natural comedic talents. Tag, which had Hamm as an ensemble including Jeremy Renner and Ed Helms, is one of the star’s most successful films because it lets him take advantage of his easy-going sense of humor.
It will be a long time before fans get to see Jon Hamm reprise his best role in Confess, Fletch 2 given that the film has not been greenlit. If Greg Mottola is actively working on a script, that is a good sign for the future of the nascent franchise, and hopefully one day we’ll get to stream the finished product.
