Timothy Dowling didn’t have much success as an actor, so he took up screenwriting and is now navigating a lucrative career path. He penned a pair of recent hits (Role Models and, *sigh*, Just Go With It) and has since moved into blockbuster territory with McG’s forthcoming This Means War, a film that allowed him to write comedy as well as big action sequences. Now he’s returning to his roots with a remake of Warner Bros. 1974 flick Uptown Saturday Night.
Variety reports that the scribe has been set to make a pass at the first draft that Robb and Mark Cullen (Cop Out) delivered. The original, directed by and starring Sidney Poitier, also featured Bill Cosby as two estranged friends who have their wallets stolen at a nightclub. The next morning, they learn that one contained a winning lottery ticket and together they set out to find it.
Will Smith and Denzel Washington have been said to be circling the starring roles in the remake; together they are a box-office force to be reckoned with. I’m a fan of Dowling’s Role Models, a film that succeeded mainly on the strength of its script. His involvement should ensure a lot of punchy dialogue between the two actors, who could very well carry Uptown Saturday Night to a meaty opening weekend with their star power alone.
Source: Variety
