Drew Barrymore Wants to Reboot This Beloved Holiday Comedy With Cameron Diaz

Drew Barrymore is a hilarious comedic performer and, while various projects she’s starred in have been revived and rebooted over the years, the performer herself admitted that she’d like to reunite with her Charlie’s Angels costar Cameron Diaz to develop a reboot of their own with a new take on the John Hughes film Planes, Trains & Automobiles. The Thanksgiving-centric buddy comedy is a classic for a number of reasons, most notably the performances of Steve Martin and John Candy, with Barrymore revealing that she’d like to take on the role of Candy in a new take on the concept.

While speaking with Adam Sandler on The Drew Barrymore Show, the host admitted, “[Diaz] and I did discuss remaking Planes, Trains & Automobiles, and I was like, ‘Well, you know, Adam and I talk about that.’” Rather than a full reimagining, Barrymore admitted she wanted to channel the source material, noting, “I want to play John Candy.”

The original film is described, “Steve Martin and John Candy star in this hysterical tale of travel gone awry. Neal Page (Martin) is an uptight ad exec trying to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving with his family. When rerouted to Wichita, Neal reluctantly partners with Del Griffith (Candy), an obnoxious yet loveable salesman. Together, they embark on a cross-country adventure filled with outrageously funny situations and a generous helping of warmth.”

The movie is a staple of the holiday season, not only because it’s one of the most memorable films that centers around Thanksgiving as opposed to other winter holidays, but it’s a shining example of the comedic talents of its stars. It’s likely due to how beloved the original is and its timelessness that the movie has gone 35 years without being revived.

Back in 2020, however, reports emerged that Will Smith and Kevin Hart were developing a revival of the movie, seemingly with Smith in Martin’s role and Hart in Candy’s. Hart previously shared his excitement about the project and its potential.

“Me and Will have been talking about doing a movie for the longest time and we just [couldn’t] put our finger on what that movie was,” Hart shared with Entertainment Tonight. “So, for us to get to a point where we agree that said material was our project — because our personalities not only fit, but we could really pop in this situation — it was just a no-brainer.”

He continued, “Remaking this movie is something we are excited about … We can’t wait to do it. The studio’s happy and it’s about rolling my sleeves up and getting the script to where it’s supposed to be.”

Stay tuned for details on a possible remake of Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

Would you like to see Barrymore and Diaz star in a remake? Let us know in the comments!