Fat Albert

By: Development Heck
Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Genre:
Family/Comedy.

Studio:
20th Century Fox.


Production Company:
Davis Entertainment.

Project Phase:
Released.

Who's In It:
Kenan Thompson (Fat Albert); Jermaine Williams (Mushmouth); Shedrack Anderson III (Rudy); Keith Robinson (Bill); Alphonso McAuley (Bucky); Marques Houston (Dumb Donald); Omarion (Reggie); J. Mack Slaugher (Arthur); Aaron Frazier (Old Weird Harold).


Who's Making It:
Joel Zwick (Director); Bill Cosby, Charles Kipps (Screenwriters); John Davis (Producer); Bill Cosby, Camille Cosby (Executive Producers); based on characters appearing in the animated TV series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids created by Bill Cosby.

Premise:
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids step through the TV screen and come to the real world.

Release Date:
December 25, 2004.

Comments:
The original series ran on Saturday morning television for twelve consecutive years.

Scoop Feedback:

April 8, 2003... Only a day after production on FAT ALBERT ceased to iron out creative differences between helmer Forest Whitaker and writer/creator Bill Cosby, it turns out that the director himself was one of those differences that needed ironing. Whitaker has left the project.

According to the studio, the reasons for his departure were the ubiquitous Hollywood "creative differences," and it was an "amicable departure."

It is unknown what this will mean for the fate of ALBERT. The studio may get a new director to step in quick to save the film, or it could pull the plug if no quick fit can be found. [The Hollywood Reporter.]

July 25, 2002... It looks like the postponed shoot for the live action version of Bill Cosby's classic animated series FAT ALBERT will be postponed permanently.

According to FOX NEWS, former director Forest Whitaker has confirmed the film, which he left several months ago over creative differences with Cosby, has now been canned.

"I think we were about to make an amazing film," Whitaker was quoted by FOX. "We were a few weeks before production. ... But it's Mr. Cosby's life, so he has to feel comfortable... I thought we were in a good place. But the final draft that we had, he didn't feel comfortable with. ... He felt maybe the characters weren't the way he totally conceived them. I was very excited about it."

Let the speculation about what might have been begin. [Source: FOX News.]

June 30, 2003... Joel Zwick, director of last summer's smash indie hit MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, has stepped up to helm the long suffering FAT ALBERT movie. The project has been without a director for more than a year when actor/director Forest Whitaker walked away from the movie citing creative differences.

The movie is another adaptation of a kids cartoon, this one having run from 1972 to 1984 on CBS. Bill Cosby created the show and voiced the portly main character; Cosby will also be one of the movie's producers. He also co-wrote the film's screenplay with Charles Kipps.

The movie is set up at 20th Century Fox. [Variety.]

October 1, 2004... 20th Century Fox has released its teaser poster for FAT ALBERT, the live-action movie based on the popular 70s cartoon series created

by Bill Cosby.

In case you've been wondering, Kenan Thompson plays the big guy in the red sweater. The other members of Al's gang are Jermaine Williams (Mushmouth), Shedrack Anderson III (Rudy), Keith Robinson (Bill), Alphonso McAuley (Bucky), Marques Houston (Dumb Donald), Omarion (Reggie), J. Mack Slaugher (Arthur) and Aaron Frazier as Old Weird Harold. The movie was directed by Joel Zwick (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING).

Fox also has the movie's website domain staked out at www.FatAlberttheMovie.com, but at the present time all it does is redirect to the Fox Movies mainpage.

FAT ALBERT arrives in theaters on December 25, 2004. [20th Century Fox.]

October 11, 2004... He's large, likes to wear red sweaters and now he's on the internet. Apple's trailer website is now hosting the trailer for 20th Century Fox's FAT ALBERT, scheduled to open in theaters on Christmas Day. Available in small, medium and fat Albert size, the trailer gives you a good idea what the latest TV cartoon to film adaptation is shaping up to be like.

The movie's premise is pretty simple: Fat Albert (Kenan Thompson) and the rest of the Cosby Kids walk right out of the TV set and come to life in the real world. Albert even gets to meet up with his creator, the Cos himself, in the trailer

Click here if you want to hum na-na-na gonna havva good time... [Apple.]

Official Web Site:

www.FatAlberttheMovie.com