The cult classic horror comedyThe ‘Burbsis getting remade in an all-new small screen adaptation by comedy maven Seth MacFarlane, and there are already a ton of updates. Released in 1989 to little fanfare, the original movie stars Tom Hanks as an average suburbanite whose stay at home vacation turns into a nightmare when he begins to suspect his new neighbors might be murderers. Playfully lambasting the urban paranoia that typified the Reagan Era in the United States, director Joe Dante’s deviously funny concept was way ahead of its time.
As is the case with manyunderrated comedy movies from the ’80s,The ‘Burbshas always been a high priority to get a modern re-do. Now, TV comedy legend Seth MacFarlane has stepped up to the plate, and plans to modernize the horror comedy as a TV series. Though a lot of the new remake is being kept under wraps for now, Keke Palmer has already been tapped to lead the show. As the project continues to take shape, it begins to look more and more like the new take onThe ‘Burbscan help the original get the attention it deserves.
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The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Latest News
A Slew Of New Cast Members Join The Remake
Many months after the project was first revealed, the latest news confirms a bevy ofnew cast members have joinedThe ‘Burbs. Helping to up the comedy pedigree of the series, which is already slated to be led by Keke Palmer,Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise), Julia Duffy (Designing Women), Paula Pell (Girls5eva), Mark Proksch (What We Do in the Shadows), and Kapil Talwalkar (Night Court) have all boarded the show. Nothing is known about their roles just yet, but they’ll likely make up the suspicious denizens of the titular neighborhood.
Nzingha Stewart (Daisy Jones & the Six,How to Get Away with Murder) will serve as an executive producer and the director of the first episode.
The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Is Confirmed
A Remake Of The ‘Burbs Is Coming Soon
Continuing the trend of ’80s and ’90s remakes that have been so popular lately, it has now been confirmed that a TV remake ofThe ‘Burbsis currently in the works. Coming 35 years after the Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher cult classic hit theaters, executive producerSeth MacFarlane is helping to oversee a modernization of the dark comedy that has already tapped Keke Palmer to star.The series will be lead by executive producer Brian Grazer and Imagine Entertainment, the company that delivered the original film.
The series is being penned by Celeste Hughey(Palm Royale, Dead to Me) who will also serve as one of the producers. Peacock will host the new take onThe ‘Burbs, and Nzingha Stewart will produce and direct the premiere episode. Many story details remain elusive, and it’s currently unclear how far along the series is in its development phase. As such, a release date won’t be revealed for quite some time.
The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Cast
Keke Palmer Is Set To Star
Though much about the TV remake ofThe ‘Burbsremains unknown, the show has already landed its lead actor. Keke Palmer (Nope) has been tapped to star, though exact details about her character haven’t been announced yet. It’s likely that Palmer’s new character will be an approximation ofTom Hank’s original character, an affable suburbanite who grows increasingly paranoid and suspicious of his new neighbors.
The cast has since grown, and will now include a host of other well-known comic performers. Jack Whitehall (Jungle Cruise) will join Palmer, as willGirls5evastar Paula Pell. Fresh off his stint onWhat We Do in the Shadows, Mark Proksch has joined the cast, as has TV icon Julia Duffy (Newhart). Finally, Kapil Talwalkar (Night Court) will play an as-yet-unknown character. No roles have been announced yet, and it’s unclear if more cast members will join soon.
The ‘Burbs TV Reboot Story Details
A Modern Take On The Cult Classic
The ‘Burbswill need to take the basic framework from the film and apply modern issues to the structure for hilarious results.
While it may be unclear exactly how the new Peacock series will achieve the modernization,it’s clear that the remake ofThe ‘Burbswill look to update certain details from the original. Though there’s nothing inherently problematic with the original, it is still very much a product of the late 1980s, and the exact same tone wouldn’t work in the modern day quite as well. Therefore,The ‘Burbswill need to take the basic framework from the film and apply modern issues to the structure for hilarious results.
Ideas like urban paranoia still work well, butthe TV remake has the opportunity to add in issues like race and class which were largely left off the table originally. Without being too heavy-handed, the reboot ofThe ‘Burbscan explore real-life issues like gentrification, white flight, and blockbusting to tell a humorous and horrific story set within an unassuming suburb. However, until more details surface about the new vision, the story of the reboot ofThe ‘Burbscan only be speculated on.
The ‘Burbs
Cast
The ‘Burbs is a dark comedy directed by Joe Dante, starring Tom Hanks as Ray Peterson, a suburbanite who grows suspicious of his eccentric new neighbors. As strange events unfold, Peterson and his friends become increasingly convinced that something sinister is happening next door. The film explores themes of paranoia and suburban life with a humorous twist.
