Will Smith and Kevin Hart are among Hollywood’s most popular actors right now, so there was a decent chance these two were bound to work together at some point. Sure enough, it was announced yesterday that Smith and Hart are teaming up for a remake of the classic 1987 comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which starred Steve Martin and the late John Candy.
So why did Will Smith and Kevin Hart to decide to join forces now on a Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake of all things? Here’s what Hart recently had to say about that:
I’ve been patiently waiting for the right project to team up with my brother with. We found it and are developing it together with our teams. This will be huge for us and the city of brotherly love aka Philadelphia..... let’s goooooo.
Per Kevin Hart’s Instagram post, he’s been eager to work with Will Smith for a while now, and evidently this Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake was deemed the best fit for both of their talents. Furthermore, the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae is that the project will be shot in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is where both Smith and Hart grew up.
I’m curious to learn what other projects Will Smith and Kevin Hart discussed tackling together before the Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake came their way. In any case, Hart is clearly excited about this endeavor, and perhaps Will Smith will comment in the near future to voice his enthusiasm for the project. As Hart alluded to, he and Smith will do more than just act in the remake, as Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions are producing the picture.
The original Planes, Trains and Automobiles chronicled Steve Martin and John Candy’s characters going on a three-day journey to Chicago so that Martin’s Neal Page, a high-strung executive, could make it back to his family in time for Thanksgiving, all while being bugged by Candy’s Del Griffith, a shower curtain ring salesman. Planes, Trains and Automobiles was met with a lot of positive critical reception and was a noticeable departure from director John Hughes’ previous directorial efforts, which were largely teen-driven.
While one would logically assume the Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake will follow a similar pair of mismatched character going on a road trip together, there’s no word yet on how this new version will specifically differ from its predecessor. A director hasn’t been hired for the remake yet, but Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Ayesha Carr is writing the script, this marking her feature debut.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how Will Smith and Kevin Hart’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles remake is coming along, and be sure to look through our 2020 release schedule to find out what movies are supposed to arrive later this year.
