See Jon Hamm Replace Chevy Chase In Confess, Fletch Video
Jon Hamm is starring in Confess, Fletch, which is a reboot of the classic comedy starring Chevy Chase. We now have our first look at the film in a new video.
After decades of trying to revive 1985’s Fletch, Paramount has released a trailer for the reboot starring Jon Hamm. Confess, Fletch will see the 50-year-old actor portray the roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome journalist Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher – a role originally made famous by Chevy Chase. Created by Gregory McDonald in a series of novels, the character became a pop culture icon in the 80s with the first film getting a sequel four years later. The latest version will be released on-demand, digitally, and theatrically on September 16th.
In the two-minute clip, Jon Hamm’s Fletch is pretty happy with his life in Europe. While enjoying a much-needed break from life as a journalist, he’s also not afraid to take on a challenge. But when he’s asked to investigate the disappearance of a valuable collection of paintings, Fletch unwittingly becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. To prove his innocence, he must work his way through a long list of suspects to determine which one is the real culprit. The lineup of potential bad guys includes an eccentric art dealer, a missing playboy, a flamboyant countess, and even his girlfriend.
The Confess, Fletch trailer also offers fans a glimpse of Jon Hamm’s onscreen reunion with his Mad Men costar John Slattery. The cast also features the talents of Marcia Gay Harden, Kyle MacLachlan, Barb and Star’s Annie Mumolo, Hacks’ Lorenza Izzo, and The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. as Detective Monroe. Produced by Miramax, the film is directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola from a script he co-wrote with Zev Borow. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, producer Connie Tavel said the creative team is excited to bring Chevy Chase’s iconic character back to the big screen with a modern-day twist.
While the original film has been hailed a cult classic with a strong fan base, the studio plans to showcase Fletch through a new comedic and sophisticated lens. As such, Jon Hamm highlights the nuances of the character as well as the intricacies of his career as an investigative journalist. Released in 1985, Fletch was billed as a neo-noir comedy thriller. Directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Andrew Bergman, the film starred Chevy Chase as the eponymous character alongside co-stars Tim Matheson, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Geena Davis, and Joe Don Baker.
The story focused on Los Angeles Times reporter Irwin M. “Fletch” Fletcher (portrayed by Jon Hamm in the reboot), who is offered a large sum of money to kill a millionaire who supposedly has a terminal cancer prognosis. Fletch becomes suspicious when he discovers the man is not really sick at all. When he continues to investigate, his life is threatened. The movie was well received by critics and did extremely well at the box office, ranking among the top 50 grossing domestic films in its first year of release. A sequel called Fletch Lives was released in 1989.
Since then, there have been several attempts at reviving the character. But these efforts were ultimately abandoned, with Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, Zach Braff, and Jason Sudeikis all attached to star at different points. Hopefully, Jon Hamm can recreate the magic of the Chevy Chase-led feature in the new film.
