A remake to the cult-favorite whodunnit comedy, CLUE, is in the works and originally it was announced that Jason Bateman was taking on directing duties as well as co-starring with Ryan Reynolds on the project. By February of this year it was then announced that Bateman was dropping out of the project and now the actor is explaining why.
While speaking to "Collider", Bateman revealed that the only reason he dropped out of the project had to do with commitments to his Netflix series, Ozark:
"Clue is something that we were getting very close to starting, but as it turned out something of that size takes much, much longer to do than what the seasonal hiatus was able to accommodate. It would have pushed back the start of this season too far. So unfortunately I had to step off of that."
Given the current state of affairs with the cornavirus pandemic, it's possible that getting started on CLUE could get pushed back a bit and if it does, Bateman would love revisiting getting involved with the project again:
"But if it’s still around when Ozark is all wrapped up, I’d love to do it. But who knows, they might put a different director on it before then. We’ll see. Unfortunately my ability to direct features really kind of—there’s a certain size of a film that I just can’t qualify for [right now] because of the amount of time that I’m able to give in prep, in shooting, and in post."
A new director is indeed attached to the CLUE remake as of now. James Bobin is in talks to join the project although there is no official announcement as of now. Bobin previously directed ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS. It's possible that Bateman could still co-star in the picture but it may come down to when they get stared and if it will conflict with his schedule on Ozark or other projects.
Ozark began streaming its third season on Netflix on March 27 and it is already proving to be a top binging choice as we're all forced to self-quarantine during this global pandemic. The third season has received stellar reviews, clocking in with a 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. No word on a season four renewal as of yet but I'm sure if the creative team has some ideas, Netflix will be more than happy to keep it around. As for Bateman, he's one of my favorite actors working today. He can move from comedy to drama without missing a beat and he takes on projects I'm always interested in. I think he would've been a great fit for CLUE and I kind of hope they go back to Bateman if his television schedule allows him to work on it.
Do YOU want to see Jason Bateman direct CLUE?