| White Men Can't Jump | |
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 Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by | Calmatic |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by |
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| Based on | White Men Can't Jump by Ron Shelton |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tommy Maddox-Upshaw |
| Edited by | Jonathan Schwartz |
| Music by | Marcelo Zarvos |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Hulu |
Release date |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
White Men Can't Jump is a 2023 Americansports comedy film directed byCalmatic, and written byKenya Barris and Doug Hall from a story they co-wrote withRon Shelton.[1] It is a remake ofthe 1992 film. It starsSinqua Walls andJack Harlow, in his acting debut, in the lead roles, alongsideTeyana Taylor,Laura Harrier,Vince Staples, Myles Bullock, andLance Reddick.
The film was released byHulu on May 19, 2023, and received mixed reviews, with critics comparing it unfavorably to its original counterpart.
In this modern remix of the iconic film, seemingly opposite street hoopers, Jeremy, an injury prone former star, and Kamal, a has-been prodigy, team up to take one final shot at living out their dreams.[2]
— Hulu
Additionally,Stan Verrett,Blake Griffin,Taylor Rooks,Duke Skywalka andTyler Herro play themselves.[3]
In January 2017,Kenya Barris was reported to be developing aWhite Men Can't Jump remake produced byNBA starBlake Griffin andNFL playerRyan Kalil.[4] In November 2021,Calmatic was revealed to be the director.[5] In March 2022, rapper and actorJack Harlow was cast in the film, in the role originally played byWoody Harrelson.[6] In April 2022,Sinqua Walls was cast as Kamal Allen, the equivalent ofWesley Snipes' character in the original 1992 film.[7] Other characters include Jermaine, who often antagonizes Kamal; Bobby, Kamal's boss; and an opposing fan who trash-talks Kamal.[8] Barris produced the film under his Khalabo Ink Society banner alongside Hall, and Kalil, Griffin, and Noah Weinstein executive produce under their Mortal Media banner.[7] On May 5, 2022,Lance Reddick,Teyana Taylor, andLaura Harrier were cast in the film.[9] Additional castings included Tamera "Tee" Kissen, Myles Bullock,Vince Staples, and Zak Steiner.[10]
Filming began on May 11, 2022, in Los Angeles, with Tommy Maddox-Upshaw as the cinematographer.[11] It wrapped up by July 2022.[10] The film was scored byMarcelo Zarvos and will feature a soundtrack byDJ Drama.[12][13] By January 11, 2023, the film was in post-production.[14]
White Men Can't Jump was released on May 19, 2023, onHulu.[15] Internationally, the film was released onDisney+.[16]
Analytics companySamba TV, which gathers viewership data from certainsmart TVs and content providers, reported thatWhite Men Can't Jump was the seventh most-streamed program from May 17–23, 2023.[17]Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 25 million worldwide users of itsTV Time app, calculated thatWhite Men Can't Jump was the fifth most-streamed film in the U.S. during the week of May 21, 2023.[18] It later moved to ninth place during the week of May 28, 2023.[19]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 26% of 88 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Never mind being able to get air - theWhite Men Can't Jump remake struggles to come up with reasons for its own existence."[20]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 40 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[21]
Wendy Ide ofThe Observer gaveWhite Men Can't Jump three out of five stars, saying that the film is a slick and unchallenging remake that is enjoyable but raises the question of the need for a remake of the 1992 original. She mentioned that Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow performed adequately in the roles originally played by Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Ide noted that Calmatic brought a flashy energy to the film but felt the story lacked depth. She found the film to be a safer and more generic sports movie, with the original's rough edges smoothed out.[22]
Robert Daniels ofRogerEbert.com gaveWhite Men Can't Jump one out of four stars, stating the movie is undermined by what he described as the director's "noxious audacity," which transforms a classic into a "rote joke." He questioned the necessity of the remake, finding the film unimaginative, corny, and unfulfilling. Daniels compared it unfavorably to the original, noting that the sharp critique of stereotypes in the 1992 film was lost in this version, which he found to be more focused on rehashing outdated elements. He criticized Jack Harlow's performance, calling it monotone and lacking conviction. Daniels also felt that the screenplay failed to capture the essence of the original, with poorly executed attempts to address socio-political themes. He noted that the film attempted to explore themes like Black masculinity and self-care but failed to develop its characters properly.[23]
Lance Reddick received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performance in a TV Movie or Limited Series at the 2023Black Reel Awards for Television.[24][25]White Men Can't Jump was nominated for Location Manager of the Year - Studio Feature Film and Location Team of the Year - Studio Feature Film at the 2022California on Location Awards.[26]
