Music lovers have been completely charmed by Song Sung Blue, the new music biopic starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder, and critics agree it’s both uplifting and heartwrenching. Meanwhile, some closer to the story have a different opinion about how the film portrays the life of Mike Sardina, with his son saying “it’s all lies.”

Michael Sardina Jr. told the Daily Mail that his father is “rolling in his grave right now” after director Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue failed to depict their true family dynamic, with Sardina Jr. saying he was “purposely cut out of the film.” According to the late musician’s son:

Mike Sardina’s son from his second marriage to Diane Annunziata was not a character in Song Sung Blue, though he did get $30,000 as a "consultant" for the movie. Mike Jr.’s sister Angelina, meanwhile, was portrayed, as were their stepmom Claire’s children from a previous marriage. Mike Jr. called Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson “monsters” for not mentioning him during the promotional tour, saying:

The director reportedly acknowledged Mike Sardina Jr.’s frustration in text messages to Angelina in October after she and her brother saw the film. Craig Brewer allegedly wrote there was “so much that I didn't get that was accurate” and that he thought Mike Jr.’s issues were due to the fact that “he didn’t directly help the movie.”

Mike Sardina’s son said he’s apparently considering legal action against the production company, Davis Entertainment, as well as distributors Focus Features and NBCUniversal, telling the tabloid:

Mike Sardina Jr. says Song Sung Blue left out much about his dad's recovery journey, as well as details of their “extremely violent” household, including drug use and sibling rivalry between him and his stepbrother. His sister supports the claims, admitting that while the movie does get the love between her father and Claire right, it’s not an accurate portrayal of their lives. She said:

Meanwhile, their stepmother Claire Sardina, aka “Thunder,” has given her full support to Song Sung Blue, appearing alongside Kate Hudson and the other cast members at various premieres of the movie and even singing “Sweet Caroline” with Hugh Jackman at an event in Milwaukee. Hudson has been nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Thunder, with Jackman celebrating the achievement despite not being recognized himself.

Song Sung Blue is in theaters now.

Warning: Spoilers for Song Sung Blue lie ahead, so read on accordingly.

Song Sung Blue is one of the latest titles to arrive amid the 2025 movie schedule, and it’s a truly eclectic kind of flick. The film, which is directed by Craig Brewer, is a musical story about a couple who worked together to form a Neil Diamond tribute band. All the while, they also experience highs and lows in their personal lives. Oh, and did I mention this is all based on a true story? To some, that fact may seem hard to believe and, as Brewer himself told CinemaBlend that he can understand any sense of disbelief.

When it comes to a film like Song Sung Blue, it’s probably best for audience members to go in as cold as possible. That could make their viewing all the more unique and surprising. During CinemaBlend’s interview with Brewer, he admitted that the plot of his latest movie could be seen as “outrageous” in some respects. From there, the Black Snake Moan helmer spoke about why his movie doesn’t go where audiences might expect it to:

In the film, Hugh Jackman (who sports some serious hair) and Kate Hudson play Mike and Claire Sardina, respectively, who form the Neil Diamond tribute band, Thunder & Lightning. The movie starts off with plenty of optimism and romance, though it does indeed take a tragic turn, when Claire is run over by a car and has to have her leg amputated. Finding a balance between hope and tragedy is tough when it comes to storytelling, and I understand why that was hard for Brewer. Of course, he also didn’t want sadness to win out here:

Of course, with any kind of biopic, it's also common for creative liberties to be taken when it comes to specific details. Brewer explained whether he did that while telling the story of Claire and Mike (who passed in 2006):

Creating a great music biopic is no small feat under normal circumstances, but creating one that threads the needle between sheer optimism and legitimate tragedy is particularly hard. Based on critics’ responses to Song Sung Blue, though, it would seem Craig Brewer managed to thread the needle in a solid way. Of course, Brewer is also no stranger to biopics and musical films, as he also directed 2005’s Hustle & Flow as well as the critically acclaimed Dolemite Is My Name. So he knows how to blend tones and evoke varied emotional responses from his audiences.

Following his latest film, Brewer also has an upcoming musical biopic in the works, as he’s set to direct the Snoop Dogg biopic, which originally had Allen Hughes attached as director. That film could also feature some tales that may seem “unbelievable,” and I’m curious to see it. At present, though, let’s just appreciate how Brewer was able to tell Sardinas’ unconventionally sweet love story. On that note, check out Song Sung Blue, which is playing in theaters now.

We’ve been treated to some great musical biopics recently, including Jeremy Allen White's Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere and Timothée Chalamet’s A Complete Unknown. Giving us another contribution before we switch over to the 2026 movie calendar is Hugh Jackman in Song Sung Blue, the story of Mike and Claire Sardina, aka the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. Critics have seen the movie ahead of its Christmas Day release, and they mostly agree it’s a little hokey, a little heartbreaking but irresistible nonetheless.

The critical acclaim for this one started even before its release to theaters, with Kate Hudson being nominated for a 2026 Golden Globe, which her co-star called “richly deserved.” That’s an opinion that Kristy Puchko of Mashable shares, calling the actress’ performance “absolutely extraordinary.” Director Craig Brewer somehow delivers both a feel-good movie and a good tearjerker, the critic says, writing:

Alonso Duralde of The Film Verdict also praises Kate Hudson for inhabiting her character so authentically. The critic says the movie is more than a little corny, but what better way to celebrate Neil Diamond’s music and the people who sing it? Duralde continues:

Owen Gleiberman of Variety calls Song Sung Blue a “winning pop nostalgia trip with a dark side.” Hugh Jackman’s voice perfectly captures what fans love about Neil Diamond’s low command and smooth articulation. The movie threatens to lose its pace when tragedy strikes Claire, Gleiberman writes, but …

Bob Strauss for the San Francisco Chronicle says Hugh Jackman is perfectly cast, and Kate Hudson is a “revelation.” Put together, Song Sung Blue is “impossible to resist.” The critic writes:

Johnny Oleksinski of the N.Y. Post gives it 2.5 out of 4 stars, writing that the music and actors are fine, but what is supposed to be moving is just a bummer. The critic says:

Overall, 54 critics so far have rated Song Sung Blue 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, so this seems to be a great option for Neil Diamond fans, music lovers or anyone who needs a heartwarming tearjerker to accompany their holiday festivities. The Lightning & Thunder story will hit theaters on Thursday, December 25.

Coming to America is one of Eddie Murphy's most popular films, so the sequel was a highly anticipated affair. Now that the movie is here, it's largely been seen as just fine. The movie is getting lukewarm reviews at best, and critical reception on Rotten Tomatoes is barely over 50%. Clearly not everybody loves the film, there are potentially valid reasons for these criticisms. Director Craig Brewer will likely take the negative responses in stride, but there's one criticism that he does take issue with even though he fully expected to hear it: the fact that the movie is not rated-R.

The original Coming to America was rated-R but the sequel received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, Director Craig Brewer spoke with our own Reelblend podcast and he spoke about seeing the reaction to the rating prior to the film's release. In the end, he felt that the PG-13 rating simply suited this story better and there was no need for it to be rated-R. Brewer explained,

While the original Coming to America is rated-R, it's actually one of the tamer Eddie Murphy movies from the era where he was at his peak of fame. There's a bit of nudity at the beginning of the film that is only vaguely sexual, and while the language is there (including F-bombs), Murphy himself only says the word once. This is part of that "fairy tale theme" that Craig Brewer is talking about Akeem is so innocent that that he doesn't use language like that, nor is he focused on sex.

And Eddie Murphy and Craig Brewer wanted to recapture that fairy tale element in the sequel, and so there was simply no need to push the elements that would have given the film an R-rating. Brewer explains that Murphy himself was entirely on board with this idea and one was one of its major proponents. Brewer continued,

At the end of the day, if Coming 2 America isn't a great movie, it's not because of the rating. The first movie likely could have been made PG-13 and been just as good, and if you think Coming 2 America isn't great, making it R-rated is unlikely to solved any of the issues. Even if the same pair made a great movie together that was much more mature.

Warning: Spoilers for Coming 2 America are in play. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, hold off on reading the following royal details until you’ve caught up.

In the era of pandemic filming, movies and television shows have gotten pretty creative with how they socially distance cast members. In some cases, productions like Coming 2 America will film actors in various locations, and string them together through technical magic. Despite the fact that the Eddie Murphy sequel filmed months before in the pre-pandemic world, the lessons from how James Earl Jones took part in this long awaited legacyquel are still pretty wild.

During his sit down with the ReelBlend podcast, director Craig Brewer was on hand to discuss the impressively seamless process. While the bulk of Coming 2 America was filmed in Atlanta through 2019, James Earl Jones’s reprisal of his role as King Jaffe Joffer was shot in a totally different state. Brewer explained the process behind how he got Jones’s performance, and the surprisingly emotional result, as follows:

With the late King Jaffe wanting to hold his royal funeral while he’s still alive, a huge set piece of Coming 2 America’s first act sees James Earl Jones’s character passing away during the actual event itself. But before doing so, he has a heartfelt moment with his son Prince Akeem, right before he passes in an upright coffin. So naturally, to feel a bit misty eyed when the voice behind Darth Vader and Mufasa is delivering such a humorous and touching moment, is absolutely human.

But the process is even more impressive when you consider the first big scene that sees James Earl Jones appearing as the soon to be former king of Zamunda in Coming 2 America. Not only do we see wide shots that establish Eddie Murphy and Jones are sharing the space of the royal bedchamber for his father, but there’s also two different Arsenio Hall characters in the mix as well. While Prince Akeem and King Jaffe are having their heart to heart, both Semmi (Akeem’s loyal friend and right hand man) and Baba the witch doctor are present as well.

If anything, this new filming method is the ultimate tribute to the ingenuity that saw multiple characters of Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall’s taking up the same space in the past. Just as the iconic My-T-Sharp barber shop came to life with numerous personas played by those very actors (both in the original Coming To America, and its sequel), a long distance connection between on screen father and son was able to be made. Coming 2 America, currently available on Prime Video, is an example of just how technology, and clever editing, can make anything possible; and as you watch the film yourself, you might still be surprised with the results you see on screen.

Nostalgia has been fuelling Hollywood productions for decades, with major film studios and several once-bankable stars counting on the truth that everything that once was old can simply be considered new, again. And we have more than enough examples now at our disposal to prove that popular movie franchises and beloved characters can be revived for a fitting go-around, so long as the new project honors its roots and justifies its existence. Bad Boys for Life, to use a recent example, satisfied fans of the series because it tapped into the deep pool of chemistry shared between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, hired two co-directors who could mimic Michael Bay’s manic visual style, and gave the characters an actual case worthy of a sequel. There was good reason to blow the dust off of the Bad Boys property.

Coming 2 America, a comedy sequel several years in the making, won’t leave you as satisfied because it only addresses a portion of the above equation. It’s been 33 years since Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall brought Zamundan royalty from the tundras of Africa to the mean streets of Queens (so long, it seems, that this sequel actually plays a montage of scenes from the original comedy while a side character recalls the story of Prince Akeem, as if anyone’s watching Coming 2 America without having seen the original). But time has not been kind, and this tepid attempt to rekindle our interest in the series limps along on a rotating cycle of “Remember this?” gags and too-serious subplots involving Akeem’s expanded family members and the possibility of a military takeover that no one outside of Zamunda will care about.

The jokes in Coming 2 America are recycled from the original, but also neutered.

Original Coming to America director John Landis knew how to mine Murphy’s edgy comic talents, having worked with the megastar on Trading Places five years earlier, and inserted the defiantly confident standup comedian into a charming fish-out-of-water story about a pampered African royal who escapes to New York City to sow his wild oats. Murphy was an enormous box-office draw when Coming to America dropped, having had massive hits with 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, and its sequel. Coming to America cemented his status as a comedic film icon while marking the beginning of another quirky trick in the actor’s arsenal -- his desire to play multiple roles in the same film by using layers of makeup and Rick Baker’s practical effects.

It’s hard for any movie to be as funny as the original Coming to America, and twice as difficult for a sequel to fill its predecessors shoes. Replacement director Craig Brewer chooses to recycle a fair share of the same jokes from the original film, but also water them down by adhering to a PG-13 rating. We revisit the classic barbershop, where Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall play multiple members of the trash-talking crew who were old as dirt when we met them, and haven’t aged much in three decades. Hall also gets to play his sexist minister Reverend Brown, and Murphy shimmies back into the tight suit of lounge singer Randy Watson.

You smile, because you remember when these gags were funny, but nothing happens in THIS movie to make them funny again. The comedy really is woefully unfunny, with the scattered attempts at humor falling extremely flat. I don’t want to chalk this up to the rating, because it should be incredibly easy for a good comedy to generate laughs with swearing. Take Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar. That’s one of the funniest movies to come out in recent memory, and it’s PG-13. But there is something jarring about seeing a sequel to what was an edgy and R-rated comedy play it extremely safe in order to maintain its audience-friendly rating. “I am the MF-ing king!” Murphy yells at one point, and I winced, thinking how effortlessly this genius used to work the F-word into a sentence.

The story used to set up Coming 2 America is weak.

There was a moment in Coming 2 America when I thought the sequel was going to pull a clever card from its sleeve to backdoor explain why the sequel was happening. The main plot revolves around Prince Akeem (Murphy) lacking a male heir as his father, King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), prepares to die. Akeem claims he has only been with one woman, Lisa (Shari Headley), only we are told that isn’t the case. I wondered if the four credited screenwriters found a line of dialogue or a mention from the original movie that could lead to the potential of a bastard heir.

Alas, no. The movie instead recreates scenes that didn’t happen in Coming to America so this sequel can introduce former Saturday Night Live co-star Leslie Jones as a one-night stand for the prince. It’s lame. It’s a toothpick-thin plot setup that the entire sequel rests on, and you all but have to accept it, no matter how ridiculous it feels. And it prompts a plot reversal that means Coming 2 America strips away the funniest parts of the original film -- Akeem and Semmi interacting with Americans -- in favor of a story that rests on the younger generation. I honestly fear that many tuning in for more adventures with Akeem won’t care nearly as much about where this movie goes.

Once the baton in Coming 2 America gets passed off, interest quickly fades.

Suitable jokes would ease a lot of Coming 2 America’s issues, but the reality is that once the story shifts its focus off Akeem and onto his bastard heir, Lavelle (Jermaine Fowler), the movie stops being funny. Completely. Where Coming to America routinely milked laughs out of the overly-courteous Akeem facing good-old American hostility, Lavelle simply has to get used to royal living, and nothing about it seems challenging. The story tries to cook up obstacles for him, like physical challenges where he must retrieve a whisker from a sleeping lion. It’s silly, and Fowler -- bless his heart -- isn’t anywhere near the gifted comedian that Murphy was (and still is) in a similar situation.

There are moments in the film that play well, and you can tell watching them that they were meant to be huge crowd laugh moments, edited by Brewer and his team to achieve maximum exposure with an opening-night audience. Wesley Snipes gets a grand introduction, and effortlessly steals each of his scenes. Morgan Freeman surprises as the Key Orator at a pivotal funeral, introducing En Vogue and Salt ‘n’ Peppa in a way that gets a chuckle. But man, this is supposed to be the long-awaited follow up to Coming to America! Why does it feel so toothless and safe?

It’s strange because there’s a conversation in the movie between two characters that feels likes it’s only included to comment on the movie in which the dialogue rests. Lavelle is wondering why anyone in Zamunda would admire American cinema when all we offer as a cultural output is “superhero shit, remakes, and sequels to old sequels nobody asked for?” He goes on to conclude, when discussing unnecessary sequels, that “if something is good, why ruin it?” Putting that dialogue in a sequel no one asked for isn’t clever, it’s just painfully accurate.

Coming 2 America is one of 2021’s anticipated films. But the anticipation was somewhat dampened over fans’ reaction to the film’s PG-13 rating. Along with the original cast’s return and new additions, Craig Brewer took over the director’s chair for John Landis, who directed the original Coming to America. Despite reservations over the PG-13 rating, Brewer explained why he’s happy about the sequel’s rating.

To say the hype for Coming 2 America has increased by the day is an understatement. So much is riding on this sequel, especially being a follow-up to a classic and cherished comedy. Every trailer has increased the anticipation for the film (thanks to the direction of Craig Brewer). Yahoo! News recently interviewed Brewer about the anticipating sequel. He was asked about the film’s PG-13 rating, prompting the director to say:

Once he spoke on his discussion with Eddie Murphy, Craig Brewer revealed why the sequel’s rating is different compared to the original. He even responded to fans’ reaction on social media:

Craig Brewer’s words on Coming 2 America’s film rating spoke to keeping the original’s sensibilities while having a broad appeal. The fact he and Eddie Murphy did it unconsciously without input from the studio made the PG-13 rating more organic. As Brewer pointed out, Coming to America (and its sequel) have occupied a different space in the public lexicon. So, an R-rating in 1988 and a PG-13 rating in 2021 are essentially the same.

With Coming 2 America’s release just days away, Craig Brewer, Eddie Murphy and others have pointed out the importance of the original film. Newcomer Tracy Morgan revealed how the original film helped him get over a family tragedy. Murphy explained why Coming to America remained important and impactful within Black American culture, including Black barbershops. But some of the film’s legacy has been problematic in retrospect as original star Vanessa Bell Calloway revealed her skin tone caused her to lose out on the female lead role.

But despite these revelations, Coming 2 America’s PG-13 rating proves how the culture, as well as the film industry, has progressed since the original film was released. Craig Brewer and Eddie Murphy made the sequel not just for old fans but for new fans to enjoy. Coming 2 America will arrive on Prime Video on Mar. 5.

Spoilers for Netflix's latest release starring Eddie Murphy can be found throughout this article. If you haven't caught it yet, it's streaming now!

Director Craig Brewer’s new film Dolemite Is My Name is a rip-roaring nearly two-hour adventure story about Rudy Ray Moore, an entertainer who spent his whole life hustling. It’s also a true story, down to one wild portrayal from co-star Wesley Snipes, who plays real-life actor D'Urville Martin in the flick.

If you’ve seen Dolemite Is My Name, you should already know that Snipes is a rather outlandish and very much drunken character throughout the movie. It’s a really funny role for the actor, although those watching might feel the character, as played by Snipes, is a little over-the-top. That’s not so, however, as director Craig Brewer recently revealed the true story behind the Kung Fu scene in the movie, and how in some ways it played out funnier in real life. He noted,

Eddie Murphy is the star in Dolemite Is My Name, but he actually may not play the most over-the-top personality in the film. At one point Rudy Ray Moore convinces D’Urville Martin to join the film by giving him a director’s credit. The actor takes the gig, but realizes it’s a hot mess and believes it probably won’t make money. He then “directs” the film, but that mostly involves him drinking and making snarky comments such as, “I see no reason to do it again” after he's called “cut.”

One scene in particular in Dolemite Is My Name has Eddie Murphy attempting Kung Fu on some corrupt cops. Eddie Murphy looks ridiculous doing the minor stunts, and in the scene he actually “kicks” an actor into the trunk of a car as part of the plot, but looks absolutely amateurish through the whole bit.

During the scene, D’Urville Martin leans over to the Director of Photography, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, and asks whether it’s possible to make Rudy Ray Moore look any better. Unfortunately for him, the DP reveals there is not. It’s one of the funniest scenes in the movie, particularly given Eddie Murphy's character responds to this exchange by asking, “Is it as good as Shaft?”

Apparently, in real life, the actor just laid down and gave up. Part of me thinks it would have been even funnier if the scene in question had played out that way. But we get D’Urville Martin halfway passed out and playing dead while filming the end of the movie as the over-the-top villain, anyway. So, I guess that’s a win.

Ultimately Dolemite Is My Name is based on a true story, and according to what Craig Brewer told Business Insider, a lot of the moments that actually occurred in real life made it into the movie. Even if Wesley Snipes’ D’Urville Martin doesn’t semi-pass out during the scene, they shot at the same house and tried to get the moves from the original movie right.

If you haven’t caught Dolemite Is My Name yet, it’s one of several movies Netflix has coming down the pipeline that are generally earning good reviews and are in the awards conversation at least somewhat (although it's early in the game). For now, you can check out Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes and the rest of the incredible and noteworthy cast streaming now.

In recent years, it hasn’t been fun seeing Eddie Murphy on the big screen. In fact, one could argue that “depressing” is an apt adjective. At the height of his powers, Murphy regularly proved to be one of the funniest and most entertaining performers on the planet, consistently doing works that were deemed instant classics – but that special spark has been absent for most of the last two decades. And what has made the whole situation particularly sad is the knowledge that talent doesn’t just disappear; it simply becomes underutilized.

Because of this, there has long been acknowledged the possibility that everything could be fixed. With just one legitimately great film providing the right material, Eddie Murphy could re-write his modern profile, and demonstrate that he still has all the brilliant energy and captivating charisma that led to amazing movies like Coming To America and Beverly Hills Cop. Obviously it’s a scenario that has required a lot of patience from fans, but here’s the good news: that legitimately great film has now arrived, and it’s director Craig Brewer’s Dolemite Is My Name.

Portraying Rudy Ray Moore, a legendary entertainer whose work ethic should have resulted in his image being next to the word “Hustle” in the dictionary, Eddie Murphy delivers what is not just his best performance in a long time, but one of the best of his career – and it doesn’t hurt that the rest of the film is pretty damn great as well. It’s a story that is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt, not only giving its star a beautiful opportunity to shine brightly, but also weaving in an impressive message about the power of perseverance.

Based on the true story, the film introduces audiences to Rudy Ray Moore as an aging, paunchy performer who dreams big, but is stuck working as an assistant manager at a record store in Los Angeles. He struggles to get his music played on the radio, and has his material is kept limited while performing as an MC at a local club. But everything starts to change when he gets the inspiration to create a new on-stage character named Dolemite.

Putting on a wig, sporting a cane, and dressing in brightly colored suits, he devises an entire new routine basically centered around vulgar rhyming, and audiences go crazy for it. Signing a record contract with a small company, he produces multiple hit albums, and starts doing touring shows in clubs around the country.

As successful as he is, though, Rudy knows that his audience is limited, and he craves the ability to show what he can do to the entire world. And after one fateful night at the local cinema, he realizes exactly what he needs to do. Asking favors of all his friends, and utilizing every single resource he has, he works hard to bring his vision of a Dolemite movie to life – experiencing a wide variety of highs and lows along the way.

Eddie Murphy is hardly the first actor to make this kind of “comeback movie,” but there is also something special in seeing the comedian play someone who has such remarkable ambition and drive – elements that we simply haven’t seen from Murphy in a lot of his recent films, regardless of character. It feels like the responsibility of playing Moore brought something extra to the table for him, and the result is that he brought his A-game to the production. And it’s not just a great performance that sees the actor fully encapsulate the role, but he’s also hysterical – be it on stage delivering his routine, or engaging in some of the worst on-screen kung fu you’ve ever seen.

The excellent performance is far from singular in Dolemite Is My Name, however. Obviously the nature of the movie being a biopic puts Murphy front and center, but Craig Brewer also surrounds his star with a collection of fantastic supporting performances. Portraying hyper-cynical actor/director D'Urville Martin, Wesley Snipes actually comes impressively close to stealing the movie away from Murphy, regularly playing wide-eyed and flabbergasted at the patent ridiculousness of the Dolemite set, and getting big laughs in return. And while the don’t have a ton to do in the narrative, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Mike Epps, Da'Vine Joy Randolph , and Keegan-Michael Key make up Moore’s inner circle, and provide not just a lot of funny, but also a special energy from their comradery.

On a broader level, Dolemite Is My Name is also just great fun to watch from a cinephile perspective, as it does a wonderful job capturing the unique magic and chaos of filmmaking. The story behind the Blaxploitation classic at the center of the plot is truly a wild one, as it was made on a shoestring budget by a crew of total amateurs, and the amount of passion felt for the whole process is palpable as Moore puts out fire after fire trying to realize his vision. It’s clearly made by people who love and understand the power of movies, and it’s infectious.

It’s almost a shame that Dolemite Is My Name is primarily going to be only available on Netflix, as it’s a tremendous crowd-pleaser that’s even better enjoyed with an audience rolling with waves of laughter. To get the full experience, you may want to pull a Rudy Ray Moore-esque move and fill your living room up with people for a viewing party, much like he did when recording his comedy albums. Like the making of Dolemite, it may be a whole lot of work, but it will be entirely worth it in the end.

It has been a long 31 years since Eddie Murphy introduced Prince Akeem to the U.S. in 1988's Coming To America. But the crown prince of Zamunda will be coming back once more when Coming To America 2 arrives in theaters everywhere next December. While there are no guarantees in this business, especially when it comes to comedy sequels, there are several reasons why I'm excited to see Murphy reprise his famous role in this film.

It's always hard for comedies to recapture the spark of the original, especially when it has literally been decades since they first played the characters in question. There are several sequels (that won't be named) to famous comedies which have fallen short of finding the joy and laughter that came plentifully from their predecessors. Will Coming To America 2 (which may or may not be called Coming 2 America) fall into this same deathtrap? Only time will tell. For now, though, there are several reasons why we're excited to see Eddie Murphy's big return to the big screen, starting with the comedian himself.

Eddie Murphy Returns To The Big Screen, Playing One Of His Most Beloved Characters

While Eddie Murphy was once one of the high-grossing comedy actors in Hollywood, and was given a number of big-budget movies to headline based on his established star power, those days have since dwindled. The A-list actor stumbled in the 21st century, making a number of underwhelming films like I, Spy, The Haunted Mansion, Norbit, Meet Dave and The Adventures of Pluto Nash, to name a mere few of his misfires, which soured his reputation as a bankable star.

Since then, Eddie Murphy has appeared occasionally on the big screen, in films like Tower Heist, A Thousand Words, and the indie drama Mr. Church, but his output has been much more limited than it was in years prior, and there's a good chance folks haven't seen all of his latest titles.

Although there was perhaps a point in time where a new Eddie Murphy comedy might've inspired groans, enough time has passed since his last studio comedy that audiences are likely eager to see Murphy in a big way on the silver screen. Sure enough, in addition to Netflix paying Murphy a ludicrous amount of money for a pair of new stand-up specials, Paramount is finally getting the ball rolling on Coming 2 America, which has been teased for at least the past couple of years.

Given the amount of time that has passed between the original and this in-the-works sequel, one would hope that Murphy won't simply half-ass this return to his famous character. Given the amount of time Murphy has spent away from the bright beaming spotlight, if this project does well, it could bring the Eddie Murphy back in a major way, and perhaps even give him the return to glory he needs.

It Has A Good Director In Craig Brewer

The original Coming To America was directed by famous filmmaker John Landis, but he is not set to return to the director's chair for the sequel. Rather, Coming To America 2 will bring Craig Brewer into the fold to make this long-proposed sequel a reality. While Brewer isn't necessarily a household name filmmaker, he has proven himself through several different films, including — most notably — his sophomore film, Hustle & Flow.

The Oscar-nominated music drama is quite easily among the director's most acclaimed films, alongside his directorial debut, 2000's The Poor & Hungry. But he has also earned praise for his third film, Black Snake Moan, and his fourth film, the underrated Footloose, was better than it could've been. Since then, he hasn't been working quite as consistently, though he did direct several episodes of Fox's Empire. He is currently in post-production on the new Netflix biopic, Dolemite Is My Name, which stars Eddie Murphy.

Clearly, if Craig Brewer were asked to make this picture, that speaks to the confidence that Eddie Murphy has in this filmmaker, and it should also hopefully suggest that Murphy's next film is gonna be a winner. While Brewer isn't as experienced as a comedy director compared to his dramas, his talent and experience and work with Murphy should hopefully guide him into making a sequel that is befitting and worthy of the comedy classic from the late '80s, and one that makes the wait feel warranted too.

A Talented Screenwriter Is Writing The Sequel

In the past few years, screenwriter Kenya Barris has proven to be a tremendous talent, writing some of the biggest comedies of the past few years. His biggest accomplishment to date remains being the creator of the popular and acclaimed ABC sitcom Black-ish, and Barris is also the creator of its spin-off series, Grown-ish. He is also one of the creators behind America's Next Top Model, so it's safe to say that he's been making a name for himself in television for quite some time now. In addition to his television credits, he has also been fostering some noteworthy film comedies.

Notably, Kenya Barris is one of the screenwriters behind Girls Trip, and he also had a hand in writing Barbershop: The Next Cut, which is another long-in-the-works sequel that earned strong notices and favorable reviews. While his most recent comedy, Shaft, was neither a critical or commercial hit, it is clear that this screenwriter is a proven talent, and he's also behind-the-pen of Robert Zemeckis' upcoming adaptation of The Witches. Since he's the writer of this sequel, moviegoers can be assured the team behind Coming to America 2 is making sure this long-awaited movie is in good hands.

James Earl Jones And Arsenio Hall Are Reprising Their Roles (And Wesley Snipes Is Joining The Cast!)

One of the biggest questions with sequels is whether or not the creators can bring back the original stars. Especially with the long amount of time in-between the first Coming to America and Coming 2 America, there are many people wondering if the movie can bring back the cast of the original hit film. It's not as easy now as it was before. Thankfully, though, it's been revealed that James Earl Jones and Arsenio Hall are set to reprise their roles.

Both actors played critical roles in the original film, and it wouldn't be the same if either of them missed out on the sequel. Thankfully, the filmmakers agree, and they've gotten these stars to sign on the dotted line and return to play their original roles. It should also be noted that Shari Headley is also currently expected to return to the movie as well, which is another sign of confidence. Additionally, it was revealed earlier today via TheWrap that Wesley Snipes will also be joining the cast, which is an exciting turn-of-events. The actor wasn't in the original, but he did work with Eddie Murphy and director Craig Brewer on Dolemite Is My Name, which is hopefully yet another sign of confidence for that forthcoming Netflix biopic coming soon.

This Sequel Can Address Some Pressing Social Topics

When it comes to sequels, there's always the question of "why" something is being remade. Obviously, there are a ton of sequels made solely to capitalize on the success of the original film. But it's clear that from the three decade gap between Coming to America and its proposed sequel that nobody wants to make this movie simply to profit off their previous success. They want a good reason to make this new film. There's a chance that today's big headlines could provide the filmmakers and stars with the creative fuel they need to feel inspired to make this sequel, and hopefully make it something worthy of the first film.

For example, making a comedy that could even briefly dabble into a deep and sensitive topic like immigration could hit some pain points, but there is also the possibility this comedy could provide some much-need perspective to a major topic in society, and the filmmakers will use the art of comedy to bring it to the masses in a bold and hopefully thoughtful way. Given the talents of the writer and director on-board for this project, there's a good chance that this comedy could spark not only big laughs but some interesting discussions too.

Making a good comedy is never a certainty. It's often considered the hardest genre to do well for a reason. Comedies take a whole lot of hard work from talented people, and they only occasionally succeed. Therefore, there is certainly the danger of getting a sequel to Coming to America that isn't worth the long wait. Still, for the reasons listed above, along with some others we haven't mentioned, there is certainly a lot of promise and hopefully a lot of potential to make Coming 2 America something special. One hopes that's the case when the sequel arrives in theaters on December 18th, 2020.

Last year was the 30th anniversary of John Landis' Coming To America - and looking back, it's a film worth celebrating. the movie is a classic comedy full of iconic moments, and while some of the references are certainly dated, it also has an of-the-era charm about it. Because of the reverence felt towards it, there has long been demand for a follow-up, and now we have official word that a sequel will be coming our way on August 7, 2020.

We've been hearing legitimate rumblings about Coming To America 2 since early 2017 when it was first reported that Eddie Murphy was interested in returning to the story of Prince Akeem of Zamunda. Initially The Night Before and Snatched director Jonathan Levine was attached to direct the movie, but a change-up arrived a few weeks ago when it was announced that Craig Brewer (Footloose, Black Snake Moan) was taking the helm. With Brewer now secured, Paramount apparently felt the time was right to plant a flag in a release date.

Initially the script for the sequel was written by Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, the scribes behind the original Coming To America, but in recent months the work has transferred over to Kenya Barris - best known as the creator of Black-ish.

Barris is best known for his work in the TV world, but he has had some serious success in the big screen realm in recent years - having written the hit comedy Girls Trip and the trilogy capper Barbershop: The Next Cut. He is also apparently now the go-to guy for remakes/reboots/continuations, as he has also scripted the new Shaft movie that is coming out this summer, and is also now currently working on both a re-do of Uptown Saturday Night and Robert Zemeckis' The Witches.

As mentioned, Eddie Murphy will reprise his role as Prince Akeem in Coming To America 2, and the story will apparently begin with him living back at home in Zamunda. The plot of the sequel will revolve around him discovering that he has a son who is living in America, and given that he will end up being the heir to his throne, Akeem travels back to the United States to meet him.

The original Coming To America, in addition to featuring Eddie Murphy in multiple roles, featured an awesome cast that also includes James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley, Eriq La Salle, and John Amos. It's unclear right now who will be joining Eddie Murphy in the follow-up, but that will surely be news we hear about in the coming weeks and months.

Personally, I'm just hoping that the movie finds a part for Samuel L. Jackson, who had a bit part in the original as a mugger who gets his ass kicked by Prince Akeem mid-robbery. Perhaps it will be revealed that it was an incredibly important moment in the man's life, and it caused him to dedicate himself to the straight and narrow.

As things stand right now, Coming To America 2 only has one film currently positioned as direct competition on its opening weekend, and it's an untitled Warner Bros. project that has not yet been named. Taking into consideration the August 2020 target, it's likely that we will see the film go into production some time in the second half of this year - though it's worth noting that the movie probably won't need too much post-production time to be polished and finished (it's not exactly expected to be a a CGI heavy sequel).

We'll keep you posted on all updates about Coming To America 2, and to see what's coming out in theaters between now and its release, be sure to check out our 2019 Release Calendar.

Looking at Eddie Murphy's extensive resume of comedy work, it's safe to say that 1988's Coming to America is one of his most well-known projects. The story about the Zamundan prince who traveled to the United States and went undercover to search of a woman to marry was a commercial smash, and it was reported in early 2017 that Coming to America 2 was in the works. Today brings word that Murphy will be reuniting with the Dolemite is My Name director for the sequel.

Craig Brewer, who just directed Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is My Name, the upcoming Netflix biopic about X-rated comedian Rudy Ray Moore, has been hired to helm Coming to America 2. Jonathan Levine had previously been tapped for that job, but apparently unknown circumstances led to his departure, and now Brewer will be sitting in the director's chair. Here's what Murphy told Deadline about Brewer coming aboard for Coming to America 2:

As for Coming to America 2's story, the sequel will see Eddie Murphy's Akeem returning to the United States to find his long-lost son, who is heir to the throne of Zamunda. The goal is to bring back as many actors from Coming to America as possible, which included Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos and Shari Headley. Former Black-ish showrunner Kenya Barris is rewriting the script penned by the original Coming to America writers, Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield. Murphy will produce alongside Kevin Misher, and Barris will executive produce.

Coming to America 2 is just the latest example of a sequel that's coming out decades after the original, like Independence Day: Resurgence and Blade Runner 2049. Still, the story they've come up with handles the passage of time quite well, and as you can tell by his statement, Eddie Murphy clearly had a great experience working with Craig Brewer on Dolemite is My Name if he felt that the director was a good fit for Coming to America 2.

Whether or not they'll be able to bring back as much of the original Coming to America cast as possible remains to be seen, but it would be nice to see those familiar faces rather than have Eddie Murphy be the only connective thready between the two movies. Craig Brewer's other directing credits include Hustle & Flow, the Footloose remake and episodes of Empire.

While Coming to America 2 doesn't have a release date yet, production will ideally begin sometime later this year. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on its development. In the meantime, feel free to look through our 2019 release schedule to plan your trips to the theater this year accordingly.

Somebody should have Vegas odds on whether an entire 24-hour-cycle can go by without some studio going into development on turning a Hollywood flick into a TV show. The most recent example of this growing trend is the honky-tonking 1980 drama Urban Cowboy, which Paramount TV is putting together for a possible home at Fox, which has given the project a script commitment. Well, yeehaw!

The small screen version of Urban Cowboy is said to be a modern reimagining, according to THR, which makes sense but still sounds strange, considering the world of country music couldn’t be more different than it was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. (If the word hick-hop is used to describe it, I’ll walk out into Houston traffic.)

The original film saw John Travolta, fresh off of Grease, and Debra Winger as young lovers Bud and Sissy, whose lives are intertwined with a local bar and the rodeo-loving, oil-refining, line-dancing culture surrounding it. Modern Texas, family legacies and the American dream will also play into the thematic side of the show, which we can probably expect to match the music with over-the-top drama.

I mean, just check out the movie’s trailer and imagine it being Fox-ified.

Urban Cowboy 2.0 is being developed by Craig Brewer, the filmmaker who made his first big splash with the release of the hip-hop-driven Hustle & Flow in 2005. He later crafted the bluesy Black Snake Moan in 2006 and a goofy remake of the dance drama Footloose in 2011. I’d say that’s a pedigree that makes him a solid candidate to bring this musically-inclined story to the small screen. Brewer previously directed episodes of The Shield and Terriers, but this will be the first time he’s involved in the writing process of a TV show. The film’s producer Robert Evans will be behind this project as well.

Upon its release, Urban Cowboy took in around $46 million at the U.S. box office, enough to make it the 13th highest-grossing film in 1980. (Right behind Popeye and very far behind The Empire Strikes Back.) The movie isn’t as fondly remembered as some of Travolta’s other hits of that era, though the update might draw more attention if he got attached in some way.

Fox already has a TV quasi-sequel of Minority Report on the way, and they’re probably looking for something that can be paired up with the monster hit Empire. Can cowboy boots and bucking bulls do the trick?

There are many notable scenes in Herbert Ross' 1984 film Footloose, but few are more iconic than Kevin Bacon's "angry dance" in the warehouse. Needless to say, it was a scene that director Craig Brewer had to get right in his remake, which comes out tomorrow. But instead of using the song "Never" by Moving Pictures, which was featured in the original, Brewer instead decided to go with "Catch Hell Blues" by The White Stripes. So how did he go about not only picking the song, but getting permission to use it? Find out below.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Craig Brewer one-on-one to talk about his newest film. In the interview below you will find out not only how the "angry dance" scene came together in the 2011 movie, but where music enters into his process, the affect that music can have on young people, and both his upcoming Tarzan movie and the NWA biopic. Check it out!

Ok, I'm stating the obvious here but music obviously plays a huge part in your films. I'm curious, when you're developing a project, at what stage does the soundtrack start coming into play?

I would say almost immediately. Um, it's really interesting because I remember when I was writing Hustle and Flow, I was still working at Barnes & Noble, and I would write it on my lunch break. And when I would come home I'd write it at night. I had just gotten this new album from this new rap artist named Ludacris, and he had this album called “Back for the First Time”. And if you see this album he's wearing this kind of white wife beater shirt and he's got, like, the cornrows and he's kind of leaning over in this real brooding type of way. And I took the album sleeve out of the CD case and I taped it to my computer as I wrote Hustle and Flow. Now later in the movie I had the scene where Terrence Howard looks at a CD of “Skinny Black”, played by Ludacris, and he takes the sleeve out and staples it to his workstation and it was this really crazy moment for me when I was like, “Man I did the same thing with that same guy, y'know?”

So the reason I bring that up is that very early on I'm trying to get a musical vibe as to what I want the music.. the movie to feel like. So, uh, Black Snake Moan I was playing a lot of blues, recently I wrote a movie called Mother Trucker which is kind of like all about trucker culture, so that had a real fascinating playlist. But, uh, Footloose was easy because it was so much just a part of my life. I knew every song on it, I knew Footloose forwards and backwards, and I knew the songs I could redo, I knew the songs I wanted to keep exactly the way they are. I knew I wanted to bring in some new songs, maybe not do all of the songs from the original, but, y'know I was gonna get crucified if I didn't have at least “Footloose”, “Almost Paradise”, “Holding Out for a Hero”, and “Let's Hear it for the Boy”.

Just on that subject, when it came to the music, when you were choosing the artists to cover the songs, how did you decide?

Well a little bit of it was I'll know it when I hear it, and because we were going, just like the cast of the movie, for new and young talent, people that have maybe been struggling on the outskirts of Nashville and the music industry that haven't yet made it in, we really had our ear to the ground on that. And so for some of the songs... and there's this really great song called “Suicide Eyes”... did you see the movie?

Yeah.

Ok, when you go to the dirt-track for the first time there's this real awesome, y'know, dirty sound and country rock song called “Suicide Eyes” by this band called Thousand Horses. These guys have been playing in Nashville for a couple of years now, trying to get it going and they cut that track on garage band. And I just remember hearing it and just going like, “Oh, this is going in the movie”. But then I also got this track from a 15-year-old girl from Walhalla, South Carolina, named Ella May Bowen and she made her own demo of “Holding Out for a Hero.” It was slow, and soulful, and it was just gorgeous, so suddenly that makes it into the movie. I did however, I'd love to get me, uh, I knew that the scene at the drive in I wanted to be more urban because later I knew we'd be going into the cowboy club and it would be more country.

So I called up David Banner, who was in my movie Black Snake Moan, and I really think David is not only a talented actor but he's just a great producer of music. I called him up and I was like, “Dude, you may not know Footloose and there's this song called 'Dancing in the Sheets'”, and he's like, in that gravelly voice of his, “You mean by Shalamar... man, Footloose was my joint back in the day yo!” He knew it and he was passionate about it and I was like, “Well we don't want an exact version of that song, but it's obviously, y'know it takes place... we want a nod to 'Dancing in the Sheets'”. And he came up with this song called “Dance the Night Away”, that uses a little bit of that hook, and I'm always, uh, surprised by how many people Footloose touches. Even Three 6 Mafia was like, “Dude, you want to put a song in Footloose?” And I was like, “You kidding me?! In Footloose?”

We talked about how there were some songs you had to include, and one of the, well, really the iconic scene from the first film is the angry dance in the warehouse.

Right.

When and how did you decide on “Catch on Hell Blues” by the White Stripes?

Well that was first thing I thought of actually. As a matter of fact, if you talk to the president of Paramount he'll tell you the same thing. What I did was I came in, and when I pitch a movie I bring a boombox with me, and I have a little iPod that's attached to it, and I score my pitch sessions. And I'll never forget knowing in my mind that I'll probably never get Jack to sign off on using “Catch on Hell Blues”-

Why'd you think that?

Well, y'know, Jack is, as he should be, very protective as to what his music, y'know how his music is used. And I've met him before I think he's one of the best, one of the greatest artists we have right now. I think he does to rock/pop what I try to do with movies, and that is infuse it with blues, infuse it with some tradition and heritage beforehand where you don't know you're being exposed to it. But I just remember pitching the angry dance, as a matter of fact almost verbatim, I even had, um, it all worked out, meaning I went in to the studio and I had “Catch on Hell Blues” playing and I had the whole angry dance- the original [Brewer takes out his iPad and shows me the “angry dance” clip from the original Footloose synced up to “Catch Hell Blues”] but I just kind of cut it up in different places, like right here they'll... y'know... so I kind of knew early on what I wanted to do. God, I can't believe I have this on my iPad. [laughs] But I, uh, I knew it in and out and I came up with a plan before I'd even written the script. And so I think they responded to that. Luckily I found out Jack was a Footloose fan and he saw the clip and he loved it.

Do you know someone who isn't a Footloose fan? [laughs]

I know! They're out there, you'd be surprised, and they'll letcha know. [laughs]

The whole Twitter thing.

Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Also, one thing that really struck me about the movie is there's the one scene, it's during the second city council meeting when Shaw is talking about the issue of music having an effect on young people. And frankly this is a subject that I've always been interested in. Back during Columbine in '99 you had that whole thing about Marilyn Manson kinda being an influence. And I'm curious, how do you feel about that subject?

Well, it's interesting because when I listen to Shaw in that piece I feel that Dennis kind of nails it because he says, “I think dancing can be destructive and certain kinds of music can be destructive”. And I guess I want to disagree with them, but it's hard for me to disagree with them. Because I have seen how music can affect young minds. I can see that dancing over the years has gone from dirty dancing being the most scandalous thing you could do, of actually rubbing your crotch up against the crotch of another person, but at the very least they were looking each other in the eye! [laughs] Y'know these days, not to sound like a grumpy old man, but like these kids, these girls are basically backing their butts up into boys' crotches and I'm thinking like, what about, y'know some eye contact?! Y'know, what about some connection with the person you're trying to sexually objectify? Y'know, at least I have a connection, y'know?

So I can how there's at least an argument for it. But I think what sometimes parents, or administrators, or lawmakers sometimes forget is that all bets are off when you're dealing with teenagers. Y'know when I see Damian Echols talk about how he went to school with long black hair, and like, a brown paper sack, with a bunch of bullies saying, “Oh you got dead kitties in there?” And he said “Yeah.”... I get that. I remember that time of being paralyzed with fear of what people thought of you. And so much of your personality goes through such change. Like from one year to the next you learn so much. So what I think Footloose teaches us, to make it sound like the bible [Laughs] is, uh, that the job of a parent is to worry and a job of a teenager is to be crazy and act like idiots and there's only a certain time that you get to do that and then after that its over... and then after that you're just kind of pathetic, y'know you're a grown up and you're acting childish. Where during that time, that's the time for it.

You mentioned how the music influences you straight from the beginning, uh, I know you're working on the Tarzan project... Is that the same deal?

Oh yeah, yeah. But it's different, it's not like, um, I'm putting in a bunch of contemporary music. It's the right kind of soundtrack, y'know, because of the direction that I'm going with Tarzan, I listen to a lot of the soundtrack of The Last of the Mohicans. The Last of the Mohicans is a movie that I felt was probably the closest Tarzan movie really made in the last decade or two.

Just another thing, there was a recent news story that said you were on a short list for an upcoming NWA biopic.

I read that too.

What did you think of it?

It was a strange way to wake up in the morning. [laughs] Y'know, uh, right now I'm still in the mode of wanting to direct things that I write and that is a good script, I don't want to comment on it, I want to keep the options open... It's always nice to be respected and thought of, especially in respect to a story that's as incredible as that. It really is. I just listened to the double album of “Straight Outta Compton” and, y'know, that album is truly a work of art. I mean, I don't think you could make an album like that today and have people respond to it the way it did. The music industry has changed, I don't know if it would allow one side of a record to only have three or four songs on it, and be y'know, that long and that potent, that awesome.

For children of the ‘80s, the Footloose and Dirty Dancing soundtracks are nostalgic treasure chests. Each song is intrinsically linked to specific scenes in the original movies, so when word broke that both films were being remade, purists probably were more worried about their beloved pop songs than which new actor would place Baby in the corner.

Craig Brewer’s allegedly gritty take on Herbert Ross’s dancing classic lands in theaters first (it opens on Oct. 14), and Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville just pulled back the curtain on the remake’s soundtrack, which will feature new material and fresh cuts of familiar tracks. Country music superstar Blake Shelton, who built a huge following as a guest mentor on NBC’s The Voice, sings the film’s title song, “Footloose.” Victoria Justice and Hunter Hayes will duet on the movie’s love theme, “Almost Paradise.” Ella Mae Bowen will take a shot at the driving beats of “Holding Out For a Hero,” while Jana Kramer is handling the bubbly “Let’s Hear It For the Boy.”

Those titles likely aren’t going to convince teens to download the new Footloose soundtrack, so Atlantic wisely recruited marketable stars like Big & Rich, Cee Lo Green, David Banner, Whitney Duncan, Lissie and Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band to sing original songs that will be featured in the film. All that’s left is to see newcomer Kenny Wormald cut loose. Footloose. He’s playing Kevin Bacon’s infamous anti-hero Ren MacCormack, dance, and Brewer’s remake hinges on his moves.

Here’s the official Footloose soundtrack track listing:

Footloose-- yes, a remake of the Kevin Bacon classic-- doesn't come to theaters until October, but director Craig Brewer is doing press interviews early because, as he puts it, "There's a lot of people that want to hate on it." He knows that nobody expected the director of Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan to take on an 80s remake about kids dancing in a small town. He knows you guys probably didn't want to see Footloose remade to begin with. But having just wrapped the film, he also sounds as confident as a director can be months before the movie comes out-- " I've never personally been more confident as a filmmaker that when the lights go out and the movie starts, I know they're going to love it."

I spent about 20 minutes on the phone with Brewer yesterday, talking about Footloose and what draws him to such wildly different projects. I'll have that full interview up on Monday, but first you might want to see what he told me about his plans to make a new Tarzan movie. Yes, that director of Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan is moving on to something else completely different. He's working on the script for Warner Bros., and while he's careful to say that his take is just one of several the studio is considering to revamp the man of the jungle, his personal take on the material seems pretty tough to resist. Check out what he had to say below:

Come back on Monday for much more from my conversation with Craig Brewer. Footloose opens October 14.