Black-ish Director Kenya Barris To Remake “It’s a Wonderful Life” For Modern Audiences

Nothing is sacred in Hollywood. Everything they own the rights to is just possible fodder for a remake or re-imagining. While Disney is notorious for this, Paramount is taking its swing at the title for “most unwanted reimagining” with a remake of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Paramount, along with “Black-ish” director Kenya Barris, plans on remaking the iconic holiday film for modern audiences by remaking the film with POC actors because that worked out so well for “The Wonder Years” reboot. 

Barris mentioned this project, along with a new “Wizard of Oz” film set in Inglewood at the Sundance Film Festival. Variety reported on the comments that were made by Barris as he was taking part in the Variety Studio presented by Audible.

Here’s what he said: 

“I feel like Christmas movies are amazing and I think the idea of taking something that has that long of a history and a tale behind it and putting an amazing piece of talent to tell that story. It’s a guy who’s trying to help out his community and things are going to turn around on him. I think that’s the perfect story to tell for a person of color — Black or brown — to get into that because our communities have some issues and someone trying to help that community out. I think that’s the perfect vehicle to tell that story from.”

Barris was also the director of a remake of “White Men Can’t Jump” on Disney+ that no one cared about. 

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is an American classic done almost 80 years ago. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try to remake that film at all. That being said, one could take inspiration from the film and make a new story, called something else, that isn’t a remake. But some things should be left alone. That is one of them.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Source: Variety