‘Confess, Fletch’ Director Says Sequel Not Moving Forward: “I’ve Been Rather Depressed About It”

‘Confess, Fletch’ Director Says Sequel Not Moving Forward: “I’ve Been Rather Depressed About It”

As a longtime fan of the Fletch series, I find myself feeling like a character from one of Gregory Mcdonald’s novels – caught up in a tangled web of intrigue and disappointment. The news that Greg Mottola’s planned sequel to Confess, Fletch is no longer in development has left me reeling, much like the protagonist after a particularly tricky encounter with a nefarious character.


Fans of the Fletch franchise might need to console themselves with a steak sandwich or two.

Greg Mottola, the director of this year’s film “Confess, Fletch,” shared some news about a potential sequel on social media. The movie, produced by Miramax, is a reboot of the character from Gregory McDonald’s novel series, which was previously portrayed by Chevy Chase in the 1985 comedy “Fletch” and its follow-up four years after. In this new version, Jon Hamm takes on the role of Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher.

As a diehard Fletch fan, I was thrilled when Bilge Ebiri suggested this week on X (previously Twitter) that Hollywood should produce more Fletch films. However, director Mottola clarified that his sequel to Confess, Fletch was no longer in the works, with the delay reportedly due to a leadership change at Miramax. When Confess, Fletch initially premiered, Mottola mentioned in an interview that he had already been commissioned to pen a sequel based on McDonald’s 1978 novel Fletch’s Fortune, which is set within the journalism industry.

“Mottola, famous for directing Superbad, expressed disappointment as the latest Miramax chief, holding the rights to all books, rejected his sequel idea. It seems that the Fletch curse has struck again.”

“I shared, ‘Apparently, the initial endeavor didn’t yield profits – almost like we were trying to lose money instead! However, Jon Hamm was genuinely enthusiastic about the new script. Frankly, I’ve been feeling quite down about it, but in today’s feature film industry, a good break isn’t easy to come by.”

As a fan, I’ve noticed that since Jonathan Glickman took over as CEO at Miramax, following Bill Block’s departure towards the end of last year, it seems the prospects for the sequel have taken a hit. According to Mottola, this change in leadership has been unfortunate for him. “It was just bad luck that Bill Block was let go,” Mottola expressed on his post. Additionally, Mottola wrote that he found himself caught in the shuffle of a new regime, and his comedy style – dry and unsentimental – might not align with the preferences of the new decision-makers at Miramax.

As a passionate fan, I can’t help but express my thoughts about the recent performance of a film at the box office. While it’s true that the movie didn’t perform as well as expected, I must admit that I wasn’t thrilled with its marketing approach. The film was only screened in theaters for a brief period without much promotion, then moved to Showtime with minimal advertising – no billboards or commercials. Essentially, it felt like a streaming movie. Moreover, I can’t help but feel disheartened about the current state of feature comedies.

According to a well-informed source, Miramax allowed the filmmakers to establish the sequel with another production company. However, the timeframe for selling the project has now passed.

Hamm mentioned to THR earlier this year that he was open to returning to the role, but also admitted that the chances seemed uncertain. The movie “Confess, Fletch” features Hamm’s character being accused of murder while on a quest to find missing artwork. Alongside Hamm in the film are John Slattery, Roy Wood Jr., and Marcia Gay Harden.

“Hamm stated that they’re having trouble creating another film similar to the previous one due to its challenges. Despite not setting box office records, he mentioned this doesn’t necessarily matter. When asked if a script for the sequel exists, he confirmed it does and shared their struggle in adhering to the established guidelines, as there are 10 books serving as a guide.”

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2024-08-08 06:24