The First Trailer For The House Party Reboot Should Have Fans Of The Original Pumped
Spanning over five films, the "House Party" series is one of the most beloved comedy franchises born in the 1990s. Fans of the original films are in for a treat on January 13, 2023 when Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema will release the reboot simply titled "House Party." The original trilogy of films, which spanned from 1990 to 1994, features in the lead roles rappers Kid 'n Play, who are known for their song "Funhouse," which was featured in the original "House Party" film. The duo's dance move, the Kick Step, and Christopher Reid, aka Kid's high-top fade haircut, are intrinsically linked to 1990s pop culture.
The $65 million plus gross of the original films (via Box Office Mojo) led to the 2000 direct-to-video spinoff sequel, "House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute," which featured rappers IMx. That rap trio was featured in "House Party 3" when they were still known as Immature, but they played entirely different characters in that film than who they play in the fourth installment. Kid 'n Play did eventually return to the series in 2013's "House Party: Tonight's the Night" in cameos for the film that was largely just a reboot of the original movie. Now, 10 years later, fans will be treated to another reboot that will be bringing the franchise back to the big screen.
LeBron James looks to continue his success as a producer with the new House Party
The recently released red-band trailer for the latest "House Party" film should have fans of the original pumped. Sporting a more cinematic look than the previous two direct-to-video films, the reboot comes from producer LeBron James who makes an appearance in the movie as well. While King James didn't find much critical success in his reboot of the "Space Jam" franchise, he did redeem himself as a producer with critics with the lauded Netflix film, "Hustle," which starred Adam Sandler. James looks to continue his success with the new "House Party" film.
The new film comes from director Calmatic, best known for directing the "Old Town Road" music video for Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. This will be his feature film debut. "Atlanta" writers Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori scripted the film. "The Maze Runner" star Jacob Latimore and Tosin Cole from "Doctor Who" are taking over the Kid 'n Play roles from the original. The trailer does feature a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Christopher Reid, aka Kid. Also, rappers Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg are among the music stars making cameos in the film based on the trailer.
The new House Party almost went directly to HBO Max
"House Party" reboot director Calmatic told Entertainment Weekly where the new film fits in the timeline of the franchise saying, "I wouldn't say it's a part of the same exact universe as the first three 'House Parties', but I think this title can go a bunch of directions." He continued, "And it doesn't have to be in the same universe. I feel like this movie's title is something that can be remade every four or five years, depending on what's going on in the culture. The universe is just the universe of people gathering and friends having a good time." He also said in the interview, "It's okay to revamp and expose the next generation to the same vibe that they participated in."
The reboot was originally slated for a Summer 2022 bow on HBO Max as a straight-to-streamer release. According to Deadline, just two weeks before the streamer was set to drop the film, HBO Max removed the film entirely from the release schedule. As part of the WarnerMedia shakeup that resulted in the cancellation of the "Batgirl" film, per Deadline, the decision was made to pivot away from straight-to-streamer releases and focus on theatrical releases. This resulted in movies like "Evil Dead Rise" and "House Party" heading to the big screen. "House Party" now has a winter release date of January 13, 2023.