Jack Harlow has made a major impression on the music world in the last two years, but now he's evidently ready to expand his body of work. Last month he participated in the NBA All-Star Weekend’s Celebrity Game, and it appears that it has spring-boarded him into his first acting role, as he is set to play the Woody Harrelson role in an upcoming remake of the 1990s modern classic White Men Can't Jump.
We first heard stirrings about the developing project back in 2018 when it was announced that Kenya Barris was teaming up with producers Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil to make the movie, but Deadline is reporting today that a massive step forward has been taken. According to the trade, Jack Harlow never auditioned for an acting part before going out for White Men Can't Jump, and what he put on display in the room impressed filmmakers and executives so much that they gave him the job.
Directed by Ron Shelton – who also directed Bull Durham, another sports comedy classic – White Men Can't Jump was released in 1992, and it was a box office smash. It was a huge hit for Woody Harrelson, who demonstrated some impressive skills at a time when his long run on Cheers was coming to an end; it further solidified Wesley Snipes' already-impressive star power; and Rosie Perez earned great acclaim for her wonderful, bombastic turn.
The film earned nearly three times its budget at the box office – ranking in the domestic Top 20 at the end of the year – and is a beloved basketball movie. As we approach the 30th anniversary on March 27, Hollywood is ready to try and capitalize on that original success.
While Kenya Barris is best known in the television world, having created shows including Black-ish, Grown-ish, Mixed-ish, and BlackAF, this is not his first time developing remakes/franchise projects in the feature world. His credits as a screenwriter include 2016's Barbershop: The Next Cut, 2019's Shaft, the 2020 remake of The Witches, and 2021's Coming 2 America. He has also penned the upcoming remake of Cheaper By The Dozen, which will be released on Disney+ later this month.
This new version of White Men Can't Jump will presumably be a big stage for Jack Harlow to prove his talents as an actor, and it could be a major career path to pair with his music. His most recent song, "Nail Tech," debuted last month on the same day as the NBA All-Star Weekend’s Celebrity Game.
Stay tuned for more news about this developing project – including who will take over the roles originally played by Wesley Snipes and Rosie Perez (who has previously criticized remake plans). While we wait for those developments as well as information about release plans, you can learn about all of the features set to come out between now and the end of the year with our 2022 Movie Release Calendar.
And if you wish to watch the original White Men Can't Jump, all you need is a Hulu subscription.
