Isla Fisher Making 'The Switch' To 'Jackie Brown' Prequel

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by Cain Rodriguez
November 15, 2012 10:20 AM
6 Comments

Let’s straighten some things out. Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 film “Jackie Brown” -- which starred Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson -- was based on Elmore Leonard’s 1992 novel “Rum Punch.” Now first time filmmaker Dan Schechter is mounting an adaptation of Leonard’s 1978 novel “The Switch,” which follows younger versions of the characters portrayed by De Niro and Jackson, who will now be portrayed by in their youth by John Hawkes and Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def). Got it? Good. Isla Fisher is the latest actor in talks to join what will essentially be a prequel to Tarantino’s film.

The untitled movie will follow Ordell and Louis (Hawkes and Bey) as they kidnap a corrupt Detroit real estate developer’s wife (to be played by Jennifer Aniston). Their plan is complicated when the husband refuses to pay a ransom for the safe return of his wife.

Fisher would play Melanie, the same role Bridget Fonda played in “Jackie Brown,” which is weird since Fisher is now older than Fonda was when she played the role in 1997. Then again, Hawkes is only a year younger than De Niro was during the filming of Tarantino’s film. Ty Burrell co-stars as witness to the kidnapping and Dennis Quaid, who was in talks to join, has dropped out due to his conflicting schedule with his new CBS series “Vegas.”

At the very least Elmore Leonard fans will have another adaptation to watch and “The Switch” could turn out to be an interesting companion piece to “Jackie Brown.” [Variety]

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6 Comments

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Donella | November 19, 2012 1:25 PMReply

This storyline does sound similar to Ruthless People.
laura ochshorn | November 17, 2012 11:43 PMReply

Cant wait for this one to come out!!! Jordan Kessler is a great producer!!!!!!
Brocky | November 16, 2012 10:24 AMReply

I'd always pictured Busy Philipps as Melanie in The Switch, but I love Isla Fisher in anything so am excited to see how this turns out.
Bob Mercer | November 15, 2012 10:51 PMReply

Excuse me, but I thought the Danny Devito-Bette Midler-Judge Reinhold movie, "Ruthless People", was essentially Leonard's "The Switch". Heck, even Leonard himself suggested as such a few years ago...
Jim DeFilippi | November 15, 2012 6:56 PMReply

I think "Jackie Brown" was the second best film based on an Elmore Leonard novel, the best being "Out of Sight." Both had great casts.
M | November 15, 2012 12:00 PMReply

This is Dan Schechter's third film, not his first. His last one was at Tribeca this year.