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Director of Shaquille O’Neal’s 1996 musical comedy Kazaam He presents his ideas about what’s new Scary movie He swings at his film.
In Paramount’s comedy reboot, which topped the box office during its opening weekend after debuting on June 5 (with mild spoilers ahead), O’Neal is revealed as Ghostface in a cameo near the end of the film. Shorty Mix, a franchise mainstay played by producer and co-writer Marlon Wayans, impersonates O’Neal as a muttering NBA commentator before quipping, “But I never got over that.” KazaamThen he kills the basketball legend because he played a rap genie in a Disney movie that underperformed at the box office 30 years ago.
“I had no idea,” says Paul Michael Glaser. Hollywood Reporter About whether he knew the joke was coming. the Kazaam The director adds diplomatically: “It’s nice when something you worked on has some resonance.”
After hearing the description of the joke, Glaser became known for his filmmaking and acting roles as Detective Dave Starsky on the series. Starsky and Hatch – He admits to having mixed feelings. “That’s nice,” he says, laughing. “It seems to me that when they said: ‘I never get over it.’ Kazaam“So they killed him, because… Kazaam “It was a terrible movie.”
However, Glaser admits that he will always be grateful to be remembered for a project of his own, if and when it happens Scary movie If the team had reached out to him beforehand to get his blessing, he would have had no problem making a joke at the expense of his film. When asked if he thought it might make some younger viewers curious to watch it Kazaam“Who knows? Maybe it will revive some memories,” he says.
As for KazaamGlaser’s originals, at the time, was the one who directed the 1987 original Running man and the 1992 snowboarding rom-com Cutting edgerecalls a family friend who worked on O’Neal’s management team calling to ask if he and his son would like to attend the NBA All-Star Game.
“And they said, ‘In the meantime, do you know of any good movie roles for Shaq before he goes back to basketball camp at the end of the summer?'” Glaser says. The director’s reaction was quick and cheeky: “I said, ‘No, he should play the Genie,’ and I hung up the phone.”
But the more Glaser thought about it, the more he felt the concept could actually have potential: “I had this idea in mind about a genie who lost his power, and [through] He experiences the care and love of good friendship, and rediscovers his strength. I still think this was a really good idea. “I don’t think we executed it as well as we could have done.”
As for Genie’s penchant for rapping, Glaser recalls that it stemmed from O’Neal’s pursuit of hip-hop professionally in the 1990s. “At the time, Shaq fancied himself a rap musician, so I wrote it as a rap,” the director explains. “But he was a nice, great guy to work with.”
