Jack Black to star in Bernie
Posted by Rodneyon 09. 08. 2010in News Chat
Jack Black is reteaming with School of Rock director Richard Linklater for the dark comedy Bernie.
The Hollywood Reporter shares the synopsis:
Set in a small Texas town, the story follows mortician Bernie (Black) who begins an unlikely friendship with a wealthy but very particular widow (MacLaine). When he kills her, he goes to great lengths to maintain the illusion that she is still alive.
I can’t help but think this is a remake of Weekend at Bernie’s. Aside from the strikingly familiar storyline and premise, they seemed to not care that the chosen corpse would be named Bernie. And Shirley McClain will play the corpse.
I wore thin on Jack Black’s comedy stylings a while ago, but something about this seems a good fit. I might just give this a shot.
Actually the article says Jack Black is playing Bernie, not Shirley McClain. Even so, I do see your point.
Jack Black is just out to do as many remakes as he can before Hollywood revokes his celebrity card. Isn’t he about to star in a remake of Gulliver’s Travels?
While the plot (and name) sound very familiar to Weekend at Bernies, so far this is not a remake.
And the only other remake he has been in is King Kong.
Unless you count the many “remakes” they did in Be Kind Please Rewind - but that doesn’t count.
I would hardly say that he is “out to do as many remakes as he can” when the last one he did was 5 years ago and one coming out this year.
I actually had a chance to be an extra on this set today much fun had.. this is not at all a remake it is in fact about actual events that occurred in a small Texas town
This is def not a remake. I live in the town where the story came from. It is actually very sad that they are making a comedy out of this. The elderly woman was killed by someone she trusted and he lived off of her money until her friends became suspicious. There is seriously something wrong with anyone that would find any of it funny.
After Year one, I’m done with him being on my “must check his shit out” list.
I haven’t watched “year one” But I have loved everything else jack has done (especially the D!) so I will definitely be checking this out!
This is definitely not a remake of Weekend at Bernie’s. This is a story making fun of the real-life murder of a woman in Carthage, Texas in 1997. Bernie shot her several times in the back and then put Nugent in a freezer and proceeded to spend all her money. Now, this tragic story is being turned into a comedy…that is just gross!
This movie isn’t going to be any more gross than everything else going on in the world. It’s sad the Lady was killed, but……It’s rather comical that the Lady was a tightwad with her money and it got away from her through a mortician from New Orleans and she ended up DEAD! Now you must admit she should have ran like a scalded dog when she found out he was a mortician no less and from New Orleans?????
I have to agree alc684. Even though some of the facts of this case are surreal, the woman who died is survived by a son and grandchildren. I will reserve judgement until I see it, but this is based on a real person’s death. Bernie murdered her and stuffed her in a freezer. This is NOT weekend at Bernie’s.
And while maybe inspired by that story, I doubt this will play out the same. Jack Black’s character will likely have some reason to fake her still being alive for some other reason. Maybe to make sure her money goes to the rightful people.
The synopsis says he accidentally kills her, while the real story you speak of is a man who murdered her intentionally and hid the proof to steal her money.
I totally agree. This is not a remake of Weekend at Bernie’s. This was a true story of a woman who was murdered & should not be made fun of in no way fashion or form! If they are making a movie then they need to make it where he kills her intentionally not accidentally because that’s what it was … a murder. Show it for what it is.
Or the differences in making it a comedy make it NOT that story and it doesn’t matter.
You are making it an issue when it doesn’t need to be. Who cares if there was a real tragedy that they decided to twist into an unrelated comedy.
Get over it.
I doubt seriously if a loved one of yours had been murdered you would find it humorous. She was my first cousin and it hurts me deeply to think people find it funny and want to make a comedy of it. I pray you never have to know the pain of someone in your family being murdered.
If I am ever murdered I give them permission to make comedy movie or any other kind movie about it as long as my kids get the royalty from the movie. Unless my kids are the ones that did me in. :(
they are filming in my town :) i get to watch whats going on, its amazing, i cant wait to see the final project.
almost all things produced are based on real life in some way shape or form…………..its being filmed in Bastrop, Smithsville, Austin, Georgetown……it is a movie being made to make money…..they must have liked the idea of what may have happened to somebodys cousin or whatever….but there is no disrespect intended……only seems to be disrespect aimed at the movie idea
@ Avenged, it is pretty exciting. I drove past them yesterday at the church on main, and they have been filming and hanging out at chestnut square a lot. I can not wait for this to come out!! @ sophia and everyone else CALM DOWN you were not there when the murder happend and you are not part of the movie, you dont know what it is going to be like so chill.
“Weekend at Bernie’s” was based on this story and “Bernie” will be more specific to the actual facts of the case. Definitely not a remake. That’s about all that can be said right now. Shooting in Texas wraps on Monday.