He’d never have even auditioned for an on-screen role before now, never mind acted in one, but in his first read for 20th Century’s new take on White Men Can’t Jump, rapper Jack Harlow landed nothing but net. As reported by Deadline, just one audition was all it took for Harlow to nab one of the lead roles, played by Woody Harrelson in the original 1992 film.
The iconic sports comedy followed Billy Hoyle (Harrelson), a man under pressure to earn some dollar from wife Gloria (Rosie Perez) and the mobsters he’s indebted to. After pulling one over on fellow basketball hustler Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), the two join forces to con players across the courts of Los Angeles. This new version has been penned by Doug Hall and Black-ish and Girls Trip writer Kenya Barris, and will be directed by Calmatic, who has extensive experience shooting music videos and is also the director of another upcoming 1990s comedy remake, House Party. NBA player Blake Griffin is executive producing, alongside Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein under their banner Mortal Media.
Harlow clearly impressed the filmmakers and exes right out of the gate – rising to prominence as a music star after featuring on Lil Nas X’s hit Industry Baby, he also has some significant basketball skills to bring to the film, as shown during a recent NBA All-Star Weekend’s Celebrity Game. The original role played a major part in catapulting Woody Harrelson to superstardom – could we see the same result here for Harlow as an actor? Snipes’ role is yet to be cast, but with the filmmakers on the hunt for their second star and the movie on a fast track for production, it shouldn’t be too long before we know who the new Sidney Deane is too.