Bernie gains cast, loses Weekend At...
Now some will try and argue that this is not a remake of Weekend at Bernie's, but we'll come to that part in a minute. First let me tell you the casting announcements for this dark comedy from director Richard Linklater entitled Bernie. Honestly, I'm not making it up.
The film already stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Rip Torn, but is now set to star Matthew McConaughey as well. So why is it a remake of Weekend at Bernie's? Well read on.
Okay, to be fair it may not be a remake, but go ahead and take your pick of sayings from Hollywood to describe the re-imagining or whatever it may be, for the story is about a character called Bernie who dies and another character who tries to convince everyone else that they are still alive.
The brief from The Hollywood Reporter tells us that Jack Black is playing Bernie, the local community leader who is also the mortician, who starts a friendship with a very wealthy widow. He kills her and then decides to try and fool everyone into believing that she's still alive.
Okay so there are a few differences, but the core of the story is there and there are some remarkable similarities. I'm sure we'll see that he killed her accidentally and there's some reason that he has to ensure everyone thinks she's still alive, other than saving his own skin that is.
Rip Torn will play his defence attorney, so at some point the truth is found out and they do head to the courtroom, and Matthew McConaughey is the local District Attorney who is suspicious of Bernie and believes he's guilty of something. Probably bad comedy, but let's wait and see.
How much does that remind you of Weekend at Bernie's?
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