Could the announcement pave the way for Zach Braff to play the wisecracking reporter?
Jul 26 2006 Bill Lawrence, creator of the hit US sitcom ‘Scrubs’, is planning to re- launch the ‘Fletch’ film series with an adaptation of ‘Fletch Won’ for The Weinstein Company. Lawrence will make his directorial debut with the flick, which will be based on Gregory McDonald’s bestseller of the same name about a wisecracking investigative reporter. The character was made famous by Chevy Chase in the ’80s features ‘Fletch’ and ‘Fletch Lives’, but as this particular book is a prequel, the hunt is now on for a young actor to fill Chase’s sizeable shoes. With ‘Fletch Won’ going into production during the ‘Scrubs’ hiatus next April however, the announcement could clear the way for that show’s star Zach Braff to bag the lead role that he’s so often been linked with. Personally, I think Braff would be a fine choice for the flick, and will be eagerly anticipating this version just as long as Lawrence doesn’t introduce any of the cloying sentiment that so often spoils my enjoyment of ‘Scrubs’.