Rapper Jack Harlow has been cast in the remake of the cult-hit film White Men Can’t Jump. The musician (real name Jackman Thomas Harlow) will be playing the role made famous by Woody Harrelson in the 1992 original film – an unlikely white guy with serious basketball skills, who hustled for money on inner-city ball courts opposite Wesley Snipes’ character. The Snipes role is still being casting – as is the famous role of the white guy’s girlfriend, and aspiring game show contestant played by Rosie Perez in the original film. Charles “Calmatic” Kidd II is directing the film, and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris is co-writing the script with Doug Hall.
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Jack Harlow has seen a meteoric rise in his career over the last year. His major-label debut album That’s What They All Say came out riding a wave of momentum from successful singles like “What’s Poppin” and “Tyler Herro” (a reference to the NBA player). He was nominated for a 2021 Grammy for “Whats Popin” and is up for a 2022 Grammy for his featured verse on Lil Nas X’s smash hit single “Industry Baby”, as his new single “Nail Tech” also gains popularity. Harlow has even let it be known he has actual basketball skills by playing in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game this year. Harlow was also an athlete in high school, so this role will be a winning fit for him.
In a recent interview with Variety, Jack Harlow expressed the desire to grow his career beyond just… Jack Harlow:
“Sometimes artists will assume characters for a verse or a feature — Kendrick does that, Em had it with Slim Shady, and sometimes in the studio my engineer will even encourage me to ‘get out of Jack Harlow.’ That’s something I’d have to work on intentionally, and maybe I will.”
He also expressed a desire to continue growing his career and not letting stagnate:
“Especially now, I work out of fear,” he admits. “I’m terrified to fall off and lose my spot or lose the ground I’ve covered, or not reach the potential that people see. Every time I sit courtside at these games or go to the Met Gala or maybe the Grammys, what’s in my head is ‘I’ve gotta be here next year.’ I don’t want this to be the last time.”
Here’s the synopsis for the original White Men Can’t Jump movie:
Billy and Sydney think they’re the best basketball hustlers in town, so when they join forces, nothing can stop them, except each other. To add to their problems, Billy owes money and is being chased by a pair of gangster types.
Source: Variety
