I love the Fletch books and I think Hamm is a great choice. I like it so far. Don’t mess it up, guys.
I’ve written before that this is a franchise that was completely bungled after a very promising start. One of the best books in the series, “Carioca Fletch,” took place immediately after the final scene of the first Fletch movie, with Fletch in Rio. Talk about an obvious choice for a sequel! Moreover, it had everything necessary to make a great movie – exotic locale, Brazilian music and culture, and an interesting mystery amid the chaos of Carnival. Best of all, it had a generally befuddled Fletch, who was unable to navigate the intricacies and nuances of Brazilian life and law enforcement. The entire set-up is cinematic, and the book was hot off the presses when the first movie was released. Why didn’t that sequel ever happen? I don’t know. It seemed like a no-brainer. The sequel that they finally did make, some 4-5 years later, has its defenders, but I thought it was kinda awful.
There is another great Fletch yarn that would be perfect in today’s world if it were modernized a bit, “Fletch and the Man Who,” in which Fletch becomes the press secretary for a presidential candidate.
The Hamm reboot will be based on “Confess, Fletch,” which I must have read because I devoured all of them, but I can’t remember. Based on the linked article, Fletch himself becomes a suspect in a murder investigation, and the lead homicide detective is Flynn, a perfect foil for Fletch, and the star of his own series by the same author. I remember reading all the Flynn books as well, but they didn’t leave much impression on me. (Depending on the script, the casting of Flynn could be as critical as the selection of Hamm to play Fletch, since a great reboot could theoretically launch two franchises.)
This is a great idea, especially if they stick closer to the books, at least in tone. Hamm could be an excellent Fletch. I just hope they don’t try to make it a wacky comedy.
While they’re at it, I’d love to see adaptations of the Donald Westlake Dortmunder books that capture the off-kilter tone properly. They did The Hot Rock with Robert Redford, but it was converted to a straight heist film and the comedy was mostly gone.