Movies

Will Smith & Kevin Hart’s ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’ Remake Cancelled

BBG News

Sometimes, when fresh ideas from Hollywood fail to resonate, it’s wise to breathe new life into timeless classics that have proven successful. For instance, the critically acclaimed French film “The Intouchables” (2011) was later remade for the U.S. as “The Upside” (2017), which gained global popularity. The American adaptation featured Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, with the latter also having a chance to star in another remake opportunity. Do you remember John Hughes’ classic holiday comedy “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987) featuring Steve Martin and John Candy? Imagine a contemporary reboot with Will Smith and Kevin Hart in the lead roles!

Screenwriter Aeysha Carr, known for shows like “Woke”, originally penned that script with well-known actors specifically in mind. In a recent interview with MovieWeb during the promotion of her new co-creation, “Government Cheese”, Carr shared some insights about the progress of her John Hughes remake project.

Carr shared with MovieWeb, “It disintegrated, with numerous factors playing a role. I penned the script, which is now out there, but things became intricate due to multiple elements. Yet, I remain optimistic that one day…” He added, “It’s highly popular among fans… Writing it during that period for Kevin and Will was an enjoyable experience… They are simply marvelous.

Finding the “Goalposts” for Your Stories

In my case, I recently found myself immersed in a fascinating project that didn’t quite work out for Kevin Hart and Will Smith. Yet, another venture of mine, “Government Cheese,” currently streaming on Apple TV+, has garnered exceptional performances. This captivating drama revolves around David Oyelowo as Hampton, an ex-con navigating life in LA’s San Fernando Valley during 1969. His return home to his wife, Astoria (Simone Missick), and sons Einstein and Harrison (Evan Ellison and Jahi Di’Allo Winston) doesn’t exactly bring them joy, given Hampton’s long stint in prison. This intriguing and comically unique story explores the relentless chase for the American dream, and I was delighted to share with you how this project came to life, including the remarkable opening sequence in the pilot episode.

According to Carr, we had a definite plan for each character’s journey. Once these plans were established, it became clear where Astoria, Hampton, Einstein, and Harrison would end up. In other words, we knew the destinations for all of them.

Later on, Paul [Hunter] and I were brainstorming for our pilot, and we both emphasized the importance of a strong opening. I reassured him it would happen, but we struggled to find it. We’d written, rewritten the pilot, but that elusive great opening still evaded us. Eventually, our conversation steered towards his father’s past, and he shared a chilling story about his dad witnessing someone get murdered in prison with a spoon. Using this as a basis, we decided to craft a narrative where this event served as the backdrop for a religious parable.

After establishing the tone and knowing where our stories would go, everything seemed to click into place for creating engaging introductions and diverse filmmaking techniques across all projects. Having clear objectives for the narratives allowed us to experiment with various approaches, ensuring that we always knew our destination and never felt adrift in terms of storytelling. (Carr)

Bask in the unique stories for yourself. Government Cheese is now streaming on Apple TV+.

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2025-04-24 23:02

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