New Line Cinema is developing a remake to the
1973 classic movie, "The Harder They Come."
While no lead actor has been selected, the updated
movie will have a Hip-Hop slant to the movie, which centers around a man trying
to make it in the music business and instead ends up in the criminal underworld,
becoming an outlaw.
The original movie helped solidify Jimmy Cliff
as a legend. Cliff played Ivanhoe Martin, a poor Jamaican with aspirations of
making it big with his records.
He soon learns that in order to have his record
played, he must pay, sign away his rights and soon starts dealing marijuana.
After running afoul of the law by killing a police
officer, he becomes Jamaica’s most wanted man and subsequently a hero.
The movie is based on the true story of Jamaican
folk hero Rhygin, who had the attention of the entire nation during the late
50’s before being gunned down by Kingston police.
The movie spawned a legendary soundtrack and
Wyclef Jean was attempting to make a sequel to the movie titled "The Harder
They Fall."
Jean had planned to played the son of Jimmy Cliff’s
character. No release date was given for New Line’s movie and it is not clear
if Jean is still pursuing his sequel.
The original writer of "The Harder They
Come," Perry Henzell, was planning his own sequel.
"If (their) story has any semblance of ‘The
Harder They Come,’ I will have to sue," Henzell threatened in 1997.
