Nordling here.
SOAPDISH is one of my wife's favorite movies, and I have to admit I find it pretty funny myself. There's a mean streak a mile wide in it, and it eviscerates the whole daytime soap opera scene, from top to bottom, a medium already fairly ripe for ridicule. Sally Field's got a self-deprecating sense of humor in it, and the always fun Kevin Kline's also terrific as a washed-up soap star, now forced to play dinner theater wiping elderly people's chins as he plays Willy Loman. It's a pretty terrific comedy, actually.
Now it seems Paramount is keen to remake the 1991 film, which would ordinarily give me pause, but the script is going to be penned by Ben Schwartz of ROBOT CHICKEN, He's also written and performed sketches for the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre, which means he's a very funny guy. Alan Greisman, who produced the original film, is producing this film along with Rob Reiner, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Soap operas are actually a dying breed right now. Many of them are shutting down and there's only a few left, mostly for budgetary reasons. It would be interesting if this film addressed that. Also, although the man's in every film around these days, this would be perfect for James Franco to be involved in. He's been working on GENERAL HOSPITAL on a recurring basis (he's actually going to return to the show this Friday and Monday; although he's an underdog it seems very funny to me that a possible Best Actor winner could be on a soap opera the day after the Oscars) so he knows how soap operas run. He has a great sense of comedic timing which a remake of this film will likely need. So, just throwing that out there.
Nordling, out.
