The ‘Shaft’ Reboot Adds Method Man To Cast
The somewhat strangeShaftreboot, which takes theSamuel L. JacksonShaftreboot from 2000 and reboots itagainas a comedy, just added a new cast member:Cliff “Method Man” Smith. The Wu-Tang Clan member will be playing an old friend of Samuel L. Jackson’s John Shaft.BarbershopdirectorTim Storyis helming the film, which may or may not be calledSon of Shaft. Read on for more details on theShaftreboot cast.
Back in 1971, Gordon Parks helmed the now-classic blaxploitation filmShaft, starringRichard Roundtreeas John Shaft, the black private dick who’s a sex machine to all the chicks (you’re damn right). The film spawned a few sequels, and then in 2000, John Singleton directed a remake starring Samuel L. Jackson in the title role. The Singleton/Jackson version went light on the ladykiller aspects ofShaft, and instead focused on a murder mystery involving a very Donald Trump Jr.-like rich kid, played by Christian Bale. Now, the 2000Shaftis getting a film that’s sort-of a sequel, sort-of areboot, and its added Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man to the cast.
THRreports that Cliff “Method Man” Smith will play “an old friend of John Shaft’s (Jackson) from the neighborhood.” This newShaft, which some people are simply callingShaftwhile others have dubbed itSon of Shaft, will focus on the son of Jackson’s John Shaft, played byJessie T. Usher. Usher’s character has beendescribedas a “nerdy FBI agent” who has been estranged from his super cool father. A new case forces the younger Shaft to team up with his dad, and hilarity ensues.Regina Hallis also in the film, playing Usher’s mother.
In addition to his music career, Method Man has appeared in several films, includingThe Cobbler,PatersonandHow High. He was recently seen in the HBO seriesThe Deuce.BarbershopandFantastic Fourdirector Tim Story is helming the newShaftfilm, with a script fromAlex Barnow(The Goldbergs) andKenya Barris(Black-ish). In addition to Jackson, Usher, Hall and now Method Man,Shaft(orSon of Shaft) also featuresAlexandra Shipp(X-Men: Apocalypse). OriginalShaftRichard Roundtree is expected to make an appearance as well.
This entire project continues to seem strange to me: do people even remember the Samuel L. Jackson 2000Shaftremake? Or since this film is going for a comedic angle, which that film clearly was not, does it even matter? It’s somewhat weird, but we’ll know for sure what the newShaftis going for when it hits theaters onJune 14, 2019.
