I’ve got some interesting news that came to me from a nice little birdie today.
It seems as though a prequel has already been written to JACKIE BROWN titled, THE SWITCH.
Now before we get ahead of ourselves, let me say this: Tarantino has given his blessing on the project, but is not involved. We have to get that straight just so the internet isn’t crazed with “Tarantino’s doing a prequel to JACKIE BROWN!” because that’s not the case.
With that out of the way, here’s the deets.
Like I said, the project is titled, THE SWITCH after the name of the book that’s being adapted for the screenplay. Dan Schechter penned the script and is working with Michael Siegel (CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BE COOL) as a producer. Author of THE SWITCH, Elmore Leonard will be executive producer to the film. Schechter’s directorial debut GOODBYE BABY has had some decent press and will be preemed at The Slamdance Film Festival. Currently, there is no studio attached. However, the script is done and the search for a director and cast is about to begin.
Leonard and THE SWITCH were a huge inspiration to Tarantino. He was quoted on the subject of both in an interview with Telegraph UK back in February, “He was probably the biggest influence on my life: I have been reading Leonard since I was 14 and got caught stealing his novel The Switch from K-Mart. I got in huge trouble. I was grounded all summer long. But I was so pissed off that I didn’t manage to get the book that two days later I went back and stole it proper.”
JACKIE BROWN characters Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) and Louis Gara (Robert De Niro) originated from THE SWITCH, but the story from the book didn’t carry on to the film. Tarantino’s film centered on Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who gets caught with Ordell Robbie’s (Jackson) money. Ordell employs Gara (De Niro) amongst many others to help murder Jackie.
THE SWITCH will cast younger versions of Robbie and Gara. But who will they choose? Here’s a brief synopsis of the book:
Ordell Robbie and Louis Gara hit it off in prison, where they were both doing time for grand theft auto. Now that they’re out, they’re joining forces for one big score. The plan is to kidnap the wife of a wealthy Detroit developer and hold her for ransom. But they didn’t figure the lowlife husband wouldn’t want his lady back. So it’s time for Plan B and the opportunity to make a real killing — with the unlikely help of a beautiful, ticked-off housewife who’s hungry for a large helping of sweet revenge.”