According to report from Deadline, Sony Pictures has been working on a remake of the classic Blaxploitation film, Super Fly, with music video director Director X at the helm and starring Trevor Jackson of Grown-ish. Of course, one of the main draws of the 1972 original was Curtis Mayfield’s soulful, funky soundtrack, which included hits like “Freddie’s Dead” and “Pusherman,” songs that have found their way into countless rap samples thanks to the ’70s cinema that influenced many of the genre’s pioneers. So, it’s safe to say that the reboot would need to have a strong producer with a distinctive sound to pay proper homage, which is where Future comes in.
While Future’s gravelly croon is a far cry from Mayfield’s dulcet chirp, it stands to reason that the remake will need to update at least a few elements to stay relevant to modern-day issues and pop culture. If Youngblood Priest, the film’s protagonist played by Jackson, walked around in a butterfly collar trenchcoat in 2018, the movie probably won’t be taken all that seriously. However, Future’s drug-riddled crime narratives create a perfect counterpoint to Mayfield’s original soundtrack, which covered much of the same ground, playing a kind of narrator to the action onscreen — Future’s version, if anything, is more likely to take the sound to the darker place the gritty subject matter warrants.
“When I went back and watched the original, I was struck by how relevant the themes are,” said Director X. “The pursuit of the American Dream is eternal – everyone’s always on the hustle because you’ve got to be… and Super Fly is about pulling off the ultimate hustle to get out of the game. Our goal is to make it modern – to make a movie where the style, the art direction, the camera movements are all part of what makes the movie Super Fly. With this film, my goal is to honor the lineage of an iconic title that the community has loved for decades.”
He continued, “I want to honor it in a way that shows a new generation how black culture continues to be a catalyst for new trends in every area, from fashion to music. I’m also excited to be working with Future, both on the music and as a producer of the film – the original soundtrack is legendary, and that’s an inspiration for the artists that Future is working with to bring a singular modern musical vision to the film.”
Deadline also lists Mudbound and Straight Outta Compton star Jason Mitchell, Lex Scott Davis, Andrea Londo, Jacob Ming-Trent, and Omar Chapparo as part of the cast, and the photo that the director posted to Instagram announcing his involvement includes Atlanta trap-rap all-stars 21 Savage and Zaytoven, who have signed on in unknown roles. With Future curating the soundtrack and a veteran director at the wheel, there’s a strong possibility the Super Fly remake lives up to the lofty legacy of the original.
