Michael Showalter Is Remaking ‘Serendipity’ for Amazon/MGM— But He Insists It’s a “Rebuttal” Not A “Remake”

A few months ago, I mentioned how, instead of remaking great movies, maybe Hollywood should concentrate on remaking the bad ones. After all, why keep tampering with films that already work? There are plenty of movies with great ideas, promising premises, or talented casts that simply failed in execution. Those are the ones that could genuinely benefit from a second chance.

With that in mind, and according to Deadline, Michael Showalter is teaming up with Amazon MGM to direct a “modern retelling” of the 2001 romantic comedy “Serendipity.” Marc Klein, who wrote the original film, is writing the remake — why? How about a fresh new scribe?

“Serendipity,” directed by Peter Chelsom, starred John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale as strangers who fall for each other one Christmas night in New York, despite being engaged to other people. She writes her name in a book; he writes his name on a $5 bill. Seven years later, each begins searching for the other.

The original grossed $77M worldwide but was plagued by sugary sentimentality and flat direction. Can Showalter inject some freshness into his remake?

Actually, scratch that. In a statement about his “Serendipity,” Showalter wanted to make it clear that this isn’t a “remake” or “reboot,” because those terms have become dirty words for moviegoers. Instead, it’s a “rebuttal.”

I am so honored and excited to get to live inside this iconic funny, romantic and intelligent world that Marc Klein has created. This new ‘Serendipity’ is not a remake or even a reboot, I’d say it’s more of a rebuttal. Same title. New characters. New story and new ideas about love and relationships.

If the movie has the same title, the same basic concept, and the same writer, moviegoers can be forgiven for calling it exactly what it is: a remake.

Regardless, Showalter is a rom-com pro, with a filmography that includes “The Big Sick,” by far his best film, “The Idea of You,” “Spoiler Alert,” “The Lovebirds,” and “Hello, My Name Is Doris.” He also wrote “Wet Hot American Summer,” his feature writing debut — but that feels like ages ago.

Whether Showalter’s “Serendipity” can actually improve upon the original remains to be seen, but at least this is one remake that fits the philosophy: take a flawed movie and try to make it better, rather than endlessly recycling classics that don’t need fixing.