You might remember Good Times, one of Norman Lear’s several sitcoms with a message that morphed (regrettably) into a sitcom with a catchphrase. You might also recall that two years ago, Sony Pictures announced that they were working on a film adaptation of that pioneering series, with Scott Rudin producing and Phil Johnston (Wreck-It Ralph) attached as a screenwriter. Then you probably forgot all about it, not unlike the movie studio.
Well, the project’s seeing new life with the news that Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has been tapped to write the screenplay. There’s no word on why Johnston didn’t work out, but the announcement’s probably a relief to anyone who was skeptical of the guy who wrote Cedar Rapids being in charge of depicting an African-American family’s struggles while living in a Chicago housing project.
Barris certainly seems more qualified to bridge the gap from small to big screen, having sold 19 TV pilots already, including The Game and America’s Next Top Model (yep, you read that right). And, while Sony searches for a director for the Good Times film, he’ll have just enough time to get in and out of Ice Cube’s head.