Cinemystery News: Film Franchise Based on Gregory Mcdonald's Fletch Series Moves to Relativity

The on-again, off-again project to develop a film franchise based on the series of comic mysteries by Gregory Mcdonald featuring investigative reporter I. M. Fletcher is back on-again, with Relativity Media assuming control from Warner Bros., which released it. Jason Sudeikis, who had been considered for the role of Fletch when the project was in development at Warner Bros., is still interested in playing the lead.

The storyline is likely to be set early in Fletch's career, and may be based on Fletch Won, the eighth book in the series but one that acted as a prequel to it. Here's the synopsis for it:

As a fledgling reporter, Fletch is doing more flailing than anything else. That and floating around from department to department trying to figure where he fits in. His managing editor's got him pegged for the society pages, but the kind of society Fletch gets involved with is anything but polite.

His first big interview, a millionaire lawyer with a crooked streak and an itch to give away some of his ill-gotten gains, ends up dead in the News-Tribune's parking lot before Fletch can ask question number one. So Fletch ends up going after the murderer instead, and ends up learning a thing or two about crime and punishment.

At the same time, he's supposed to be covering (or maybe uncovering) a health spa that caters to all its clients needs, and gets hired as a very personal trainer. Never mind that he's supposed to be getting married at the end of the week; Fletch has a few other engagements to take care of first.

Chevy Chase played the character in a 1985 film adapted from the first book in the series.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter.