Ben Stiller whitens up the black Ocean’s Eleven

For years, Brett Ratner has been talking about a high-concept heist flick described as a “black OCEAN’S ELEVEN”, with people like Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker and Chris Rock.

Now, apparently Eddie Murphy has dropped out (presumably to make yet another shitty family movie), and extremely non-black actor Ben Stiller is stepping in to replace him.

The project, currently called TOWER HEIST (changed from the nearly as uninspired TRUMP HEIST), will get yet another rewrite after already being sifted through several screenwriters. The question is, will they keep the black theme and play it off Stiller’s inherent whiteness, or just change it into a standard heist movie with a diverse crew of crooks?

The intended robbery is set up at Universal, where Stiller keeps on Fockering. Ratner, meanwhile, hasn’t made a movie since RUSH HOUR 3, although he’s been threatening us with stuff like YOUNGBLOOD and BEVERLY HILLS COP 4.