Caffeinated Clint
A “Police Academy” movie has been on the cards for years now, but seems it might inching closer towards a podium (in which a promiscuous lass hides under the microphone stand).
Originally conceived to be somewhat of a sequel-boot – that’s a made-up word I just dreamt up for a part sequel, part reboot – with the original cops (Mahoney, played by Steve Guttenberg, expressing the most interest about returning; at one stage he even suggested he might be directing the movie – that, I’m sure, was news to the studio) handing over the batons (or is it the Blue Oyster bar!?) to new recruits, the film has since gone through many incarnations. Now, seems it’ll be less of a sequel and reboot and more of a “remake” – with all indications that it’ll have nothing do with the 1984 film or its twenty-eight sequels.
Deadline reports that the new “Police Academy” is going to be directed by “Tosh .0” helmer Scott Zabielski. It’s the TV director’s first foray into features. Apparently the filmmaker went through the Academy himself, and is still a reserve police officer, and that got him a leg up on anyone else vying for the job (the “Police Academy” movies being so spot-on technically and all; faithful recreations of the job they are).
Listed on IMDB as the film’s writer is David Diamond, of “Wild Hogs” and “When in Rome”, er, fame. No word on whether that’s the script Zabielski is directing though.
Originally the idea was to have all the original “Police Academy” castmembers back – Guttenberg, Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Winslow, George Gaynes et al (David Graf and Bubba Smith, who played Tackleberry and Hightower, respectively, are no longer with us), with Guttenberg even suggesting at one stage that Sharon Stone might make an appearance as the reporter lass Mahoney took off with in the fourth film. Producer Paul Maslansky has always been keen to include some original faces in the new film but with the emphasis on ‘remake’ that’s probably not a given now.
New Line, who are also relaunching the “Vacation” movie series, are ‘captaining’ the “Police Academy” remake.
