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'Son of Ernest' to Serve as Reboot of Long Running Comedy Series

by Ethan Anderton
October 15, 2012

Just because actor Jim Varney has passed away, doesn't mean we're done with Ernest P. Worrell. After all, since studios are obsessed with rebooting and established intellectual property, a film franchise with no less than nine films sounds like a solid investment. That's exactly what Ruckusfilm thought, and the company is working on Son of Ernest, a reboot that will be produced by character creator John Cherry. With lead actor Jim Varney passed away, the film will focus on Ernest's long-lost son, who will most likely be just as goofy as Varney's original character who's origin goes back to commercials in the 80s. Read on!

A press release was also sent our way with this Bourne Legacy spoofing promo art:

Variety reports relatively new writer Dan Ewen (who has a film called Dear Satan set up at Fox with the Farrelly Brothers attached, and a family film called Playing with Fire on the way), will script the reboot. Ewen told the trade, "Ernest was this plucky little engine that could -- against all odds. Ernest struck a nerve, one we're going to revisit. We plan to honor the originals and Jim Varney while birthing a new chapter that lies somewhere between not sucking and Earth-shatteringly funny." Considering most of the films were only amusing to kids, it's likely it will be further away from being "Earth-shatteringly funny."

However, Ewen is very much aware of the difficulty in taking on a reboot like this, especially with a property that's as strange and inexplicably revered as Ernest. The writer sent an e-mail our way saying:

"I am the sick bastard who's been handed the Jaws of Life in the hope that he can resurrect the glorious marriage of camp and shameful giggles that is the Ernest franchise. I accept this charge knowing the risks, and fully aware that my family could disown me if the resulting cinematic experience is less than pure genius."

He went on to say, "I will of course allow for the possibility that you're so dismayed by the news that you'd prefer to forget it's even happening. No worries if that is indeed the case." You know what? I like this guy. He seems to be in tune with the online world of movie news and knows that moves like this to remake established property like Ernest are not very popular nowadays (at least when it comes to critical opinion over audience response). But with this kind of sensibility coming from the screenwriter, I'm hoping he can do something fun with the Ernest series. Thoughts?

Filed under Development, Movie News

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