After being stuck in development for a number of years, New Line Cinema’sPolice Academyremake started moving in the right direction back in 2014, whenKey & PeelestarsKeegan Michael KeyandJordan Peelecame aboard to produce the comedy. The duo are working alongside originalPolice AcademyproducerPaul Maslansky, who has been shepherding this project for the past six years. While we haven’t had any updates on the project sinceKey & Peelesigned on two years ago, thePolice Academy remakeis still happening, and the story is inspired by two surprising sources.
The originalPolice Academyhit theaters in 1984, starringSteve GuttenbergandKim Cattrall, following a group of unconventional police cadets, after new rules imposed by the mayor allowed anyone to apply for the police academy. Theslapstick comedywent on to spawn seven movie and two TV shows, butKeegan Michael Keyrevealed that they are taking a different approach. During an interview withCinemaBlend,Keegan Michael Keysaid that the movie will be inspired byDavid Ayer’s gritty 2012 cop thrillerEnd of Watch, and the hit 1970 army comedyMAS*H, which spawned a very popular TV sitcom.
“It’s mostly about having a sense of, whenJordanwas pitching the idea, it should feel a little bit likeEnd of Watch- and this is going to feel like a strange reference, but it should also feel a little bit likeMASH. Do you know what I mean?MASHis hysterical, but still [really about the Korean War]. We’re moving in that direction.”
A few months afterKeegan Michael Key and Jordan Peelesigned on to produce,Ike BarinholtzandDavid Stassencame aboard to write the script. They previously worked together as writers/producers onThe Mindy Project, and they also wrote the upcoming summer comedyCentral Intelligence, starringDwayne JohnsonandKevin Hart. While it isn’t known how far along the script is in development,Keegan Michael Keyalso teased that their reboot may follow at least one aspect of the originalPolice Academymovies.
“Another thing is thinking about all the weapons that have come, all the technology is different now. [Police Academyproducer]Paul Maslansky, he always tried to put the biggest technology from the ’80s in the set pieces. So that’s a tradition we might follow.”
ThePolice Academyreboot doesn’t have a director in place quite yet, and New Line hasn’t set a production start date. It still isn’t known ifKey & Peeleplan on having starring roles inPolice Academy, or if they will only be behind the camera as producers.Paul Maslanskyrevealed in an interview several years ago that he was eyeing up and coming comedians to star in this project, but we’ll have to wait and see who comes aboard when casting officially begins.
