Travolta to Star in Comedic Remake of Dallas

Posted on August 24, 2007

Here's a news item that horrified us. Variety is reporting that John Travolta is set to play J.R. Ewing in a Dallas movie that's a comedy. Yes, that's right -- a comedy.

Regency and 20th Century Fox are overhauling the bigscreen adaptation of TV series "Dallas," about the oil-rich Ewing clan, and this time they're drilling for laughs. Betty Thomas, the director who mined two spoof movie hits from "The Brady Bunch," is in discussions to direct. Pam Brady, who most recently scripted "Hot Rod," is penning the script. John Travolta remains attached to play slimy oil tycoon J.R. Ewing.
When the movie was derailed late last year, Gurinder Chadha ("Bend It Like Beckham") was directing. Luke Wilson was attached to play Bobby Ewing with Shirley MacLaine to play Miss Ellie, while producers were talking with Meg Ryan to play Sue Ellen after Jennifer Lopez dropped out.

What a stupid project. Have the studio heads lost their minds? Here's an idea: buy an original script from someone! We're sick to death of remakes. And Dallas was not a comedy -- at least not intentionally. It's was a nighttime soap that had a huge following. It sounds anything but funny to us.