An at-home remake of “The Princess Bride?” Inconceivable!
Several Hollywood stars have collaborated on a homemade version of classic 1987 movie, which will stream on the video platform Quibi. A new chapter will be released each day for two weeks beginning Monday, June 29. Multiple actors tackle the same role as they reenact various scenes that they filmed at home, putting a fresh spin on the beloved flick.
Jennifer Garner and Tiffany Haddish take turns playing Princess Buttercup. Hugh Jackman gives it a go as primary antagonist Prince Humperdinck. Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have some real fun with the project: He plays Buttercup while the “Game of Thrones” actress portrays Westley.
Actor Josh Gad, who's kept busy while in quarantine by paying homage to classic movies on his show “Reunited Apart,” does Fred Savage proud by assuming his role of the boy whose grandfather tells the story. Rob Reiner, who directed the original film, plays Gad's grandfather.
“I wouldn’t think this is the best way to introduce someone to the film,” Reiner told Vanity Fair. “If you already know the movie, that’s what makes it fun. The audience already knows every line. I had no reservations. I was like, ‘Nah, let’s do it!’”
Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka also star in this new version, along with Jon Hamm, Patton Oswalt, Beanie Feldstein, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Common and Andy Serkis.
The project, which will raise funds for the charity World Central Kitchen, is the brainchild of director Jason Reitman (known for "Juno" and "Thank You for Smoking"), who says he was inspired to create something while quarantined.
“The week that the stay-at-home order came through in California, I just woke up one of the first mornings, I think like most people did, feeling as though ... I need to be able to do something of value,” Reitman told Vanity Fair.
“I just thought, 'Can we remake an entire movie at home?' And I had seen that a fan-made Star Wars had been done. I just started reaching out to actors I knew, saying, ‘Is this something you’d want to do?’ And the response was kind of immediate and fast. It was like, ‘Oh — that sounds like fun.’”
The first chapter of "The Princess Bride" remake is available today on Quibi.