I loved both Fletch movies. They completely epitomize Chevy Chase when he was at his best, and years from now will still be the image I have of him. They movies were both dumb… but man they made you howl through the whole thing.
It was with great joy that I heard Kevin Smith was helming a new Fletch project (Fletch Won). A prequel that isn’t really all that connected to the other two films… but that’s ok since the Fletch movies were really more about the character than they were about any story line. The only real question is can Kevin Smith capture the essence of Fletch as brought to live by Chevy Chase again in a new film?
Obviously, as in any character driven endeavor, a big piece of this puzzle will depend on who they cast as Fletch. Here are some of the names floating around right now:
Zach Braff – Appears to be the front runner for the role. The guy is just killer on Scrubs and I honestly think would do a pretty decent job as the Laker wannabe. Word is the studio is big on having him and that he and Kevin Smith have already had a couple of sit downs to discuss the project. For his part, Braff seems to like the idea. This is the way it will probably go… but it’s certainly not in stone.
Jason Lee – Lee has already worked with Smtih on like 5 films. The two have a great working relationship and Kevin Smith has already gone on record saying that Lee would be his personal first choice for the role. Lee would be terrific and I’ve always thought he had a little Chase in him.
Will Smith – Ok ok ok… I know what most of you are thinking. But seriously think about it for a second. Smith’s style of comedic timing would fit right in with the Fletch character. I actually think this would work out. Kevin Smith has mentioned Will Smith more than once when talking about Fletch… so he’s thought about it too.
Some other names that have been dropped are Jimmy Fallon (mistake), Adam Sandler (mistake), Ben Affleck (mistake) and Orlando Bloom (mistake). I like a couple of these guys… but don’t think they would be right for Fletch.
So now it’s your say. Who on this list (or not on this list) could you see playing Fletch and why?
