Vin Diesel

Universal Pictures Wants Vin Diesel To Play the New Kojack. I say Big Mistake!

Vin Diesel is being tapped to re-revive the classic Detective character Kojak.  I know what you are thinking “Yawwwwnnn” I agree.  Kojak is tired and old, but Universal disagrees.

is trying for a third time to bring life to Kojak, this time via a major motion picture.  Of course it will be based on the original television show that ran from 1973-1978.  Telly Savalas played and made famous the role as NYPD lieutenant detective Kojak.  All the ladies loved his smooth bald head.  The character was so popular, bald heads were called Kojaks.  The character was listed as the 18th most memorable TV character of all time.   For all these reasons Universal Pictures feels like there is still some money here.

kojak

Ving Rhames tried to revive the role as a TV series but it fizzled after just one season.  I can tell you right now – this won’t work.  Universal havs engaged Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the duo who scripted the latest Bond movie Skyfall (which was a decent movie with a lackluster script.  It went all “Rambo” at the end, not James Bond).  Vin Diesel isn’t a smooth ladies man; he’s a bad-ass bad boy.  He doesn’t have much of any swag, and Kojak was all Swag.

Rumor has it that this s Universal’s attempt at keeping their hooks into Vin Diesel after the success of Furious five and the impending sequel.  I just think unless this has some un-Kojack like action sequences – this will not work at all.

However, I will be there in theaters – there is nothing like a good train wreck!

[more…]