Confess, Fletch Director Greg Mottola Is Penning A Sequel (Despite Not Having A Proper Greenlight)
Filmmaker Greg Mottola is a director that has worn many hats when it comes to fashioning unique brands of comedy in his movies. In "The Daytrippers," his debut film from 1996, his screenplay was both biting and insightful; 2007's raunchy "Superbad" was a great callback to the teen films of the early '80s, whereas 2009's painfully underrated "Adventureland" blended lighthearted humor with nostalgia to become one of the best summer movies ever. Mottola turned his attention to another comic franchise from the past with 2022's "Confess, Fletch" featuring Jon Hamm in the lead role once occupied by Chevy Chase.
For Mottola and Hamm, the movie was a chance to reboot a beloved character while also experimenting with the mystery genre as well thanks to the crime caper details of the plot. Despite only having a limited theatrical run at release in September 2022, the feature received praise, with Globe and Mail's Barry Hertz calling it "One of the year's best comedies." It isn't every day that independent films are commissioned to receive sequels, but surprisingly, the "Paul" director has revealed he is penning a follow-up to the movie despite not having the proper green light from the studio. Here are the details.
Mottola says he will try his best to get the sequel made
A sequel to "Confess, Fletch" is likely not something that many fans of the film would ever have predicted, but writer/director Greg Mottola has alluded to a follow-up movie. On his official Instagram account, the filmmaker shared, "[the sequel] may never get made, but I'm gonna try my best." He also shared an image that depicted a copy of the book he is adapting "Fletch's Fortune" by Gregory McDonald, along with his notebook and writing equipment. He shared no further details beyond his promise to try and get the second feature in his take on the series made.
This news comes months after the director confirmed during an interview with Uproxx that a follow-up to "Confess, Fletch" was possible. When asked by the publication which of McDonald's books he was writing for the screen next, Mottola replied, "Fletch's Fortune. And Fletch's Fortune all takes place at a journalism conference, so I've got lots of ideas how to bring that into all the insane worlds of today." We will have to wait and see if the series can continue much in the same way it did when Chevy Chase played the character in both "Fletch" and "Fletch Lives" from 1985 and 1989 respectively.