Hollywood has butchered Shakespeare in numerous modern-day aberrations, so now that this well has dried up, why not move over to Jane Austen? Screengems plans to remake Austen’s classic tale, “Emma” into a hip-hop musical. And what’s more urban and street than the perils of comedic matchmaking? They’re even calling it, wait for it… a remiiiix!!
According to Variety, the prissy British teacups setting will be moved to an inner-city high school, revolving around a stepbrother and stepsister (Wait, we don’t remember step-sibling in the original).
The film, likely to be redubbed “Emme,” will include at least 15 song and dance numbers and the idea for the film was based on the video “Lipgloss” by Lil Mama.
Hey, it worked once when it was remade and called, “Clueless,” with Alicia Silverstone but do we really need to see it again? “Now it’s urban,” the head of ScreenGems said. “This is the way it should be reimagined in the new millennium.”
If you say so. No one’s been cast (Lil Mama maybe?), but the script is being written by Tyger Williams who wrote the loving and congenial “Menace II Society” (the first and last major credit he ever received. ScreenGems is known for their hip-hop teen films like, “Stomp the Yard” and 2004’s “You Got Served” (one of our favorite titles for a film ever).