Call it a habit-forming franchise.
Disney is dusting off one of its most successful comedies of the early 1990s and has begun work on a new installment of Sister Act.
Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Karen McCullah — two of the most reliable writers in the female protagonist comedy space with credits that include Legally Blonde, The House Bunny andShe’s the Man — are writing the latest chapter in the franchise, which spawned the 1992 original starring Whoopi Goldberg, a 1993 sequel and a Tony-winning Broadway musical.
It is unclear at this point if Goldberg would return for a third outing in some capacity. The project marks something of a homecoming for Smith and McCullah, whose first film, 10 Things I Hate About You, was produced and released by Disney.
Allison Shearmur, hot off the Disney live-action hit Cinderella ($532 million worldwide), is producing.
Plot details of the remake are being kept under wraps, but the original centered on a Reno lounge singer (Goldberg) who goes into protective custody at a San Francisco convent and pretends to be a nun after a mob boss puts a hit on her.
The 1992 film from Disney’s Touchstone Pictures also starred Maggie Smith and Harvey Keiteland earned $232 million worldwide.
McCullah and Smith’s screenwriting credits also include Ella Enchanted and The Ugly Truth.
Smith is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and attorney Warren Dern. McCullah is handled by Verve, Jaret Entertainment and Dern.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
