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A Simple Favor is a dark comedy mystery thriller film directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay by Jessica Sharzer. Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Darcey Bell, the 2018 film follows Stephanie Smothers, a young widowed single mother who runs a vlog, but when her new friend, Emily Nelson, suddenly vanishes, she tries to find her. A Simple Favor stars Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Andrew Rannells, Linda Cardellini, Dustin Milligan, Jean Smart, Rupert Friend, and Eric Johnson. So, if you loved the dark comedy, thrilling mystery, and compelling characters in A Simple Favor, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a dark comedy mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The 2022 sequel film follows master detective Benoit Blanc,...

Johnny Depp’s second directorial venture, Modì – Three Days on the Wing of Madness, was released in theaters last year. It came 27 years after his debut directorial venture, The Brave. If you haven’t heard of such a film, it was probably because Depp refused to release the film in the United States after the critical reception of the film was negative.

Johnny Depp in a still from The Brave | Credits: Majestic Films International

The 1997 film saw Depp also take on the lead role and cast Marlon Brando in a supporting role. He admitted that The Brave was a challenging film to make in more than one way. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor didn’t want to make the same mistake of taking on too much work and decided to stay only behind the camera for Modì.

Johnny Depp did not want to release his bad directorial debut film in the U.

Mad Men star Jon Hamm's next TV series gets an early renewal ahead of its upcoming release.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming Apple TV+ series Your Friends and Neighbors has already been renewed for a second season nearly six months ahead of the show's premiere. The first nine-episode season of Your Friends and Neighbors is set to debut on the streaming platform on April 11, 2025, and will see Hamm take on the role of Andrew "Coop" Cooper, a disgraced, recently divorced hedge fund manager who turns to a life of crime in order to keep up appearances.

Related Cross Creator Reveals How Long the Prime Video Series Is Planned to Last

Cross streaming series creator Ben Watkins explains exactly how far his personal roadmap for the hit series goes, and it is a long ride.

Created by Jonathan Tropper, who previously created and ran both 2013's Banshee starring Antony Starr...

Johnny Depp’s one buried project’s stayed in the shadows for years, and it’s not coming out anytime soon. Back in the late ’90s, Depp stepped behind the camera to direct a dark, intense movie that took a haunting turn. After its debut at Cannes, critics weren’t impressed, but that wasn’t the worst of it. A gruesome real-life murder eerily mirrored the film’s plot, and the project quickly gained a reputation as something best left hidden.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow | Walt Disney Pictures

With a storm of bad luck surrounding it, Depp quietly pulled the film from any further release. Decades later, this mysterious project remains locked away, and it looks like Depp has no plans of ever letting it see the light of day.

Johnny Depp’s Darkest Film That Was Never Released: A Haunting Chapter Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow...

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Killer Heat is a mystery crime thriller drama film directed by Philippe Lacôte from a screenplay co-written by Roberto Bentivegna and Matt Charman. Based on the 2021 short story titled The Jealousy Man by author Jo Nesbø, the Prime Video film is set on a Greek island and it follows the story of a troubled detective known as The Jealousy Man who is brought in to investigate the murder of one of twin brothers who were entangled in a love triangle. Killer Heat stars Shailene Woodley, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Richard Madden in the lead roles with Billy Clements, Manos Gavras, Abby Lee, Clare Holman, and Babou Ceesay. So, if you loved the intense story, thrilling mystery, and compelling characters in Killer Heat here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix...

It’s been nearly 30 years since Vince Vaughn first exploded onto movie screens as Trent, the slick, confident best friend to Jon Favreau’s Mikey in Swingers, who was forever convinced that a trip to Las Vegas could solve any emotional problem. In the decades since, Vaughn has never lost that irrepressible presence, though some projects have taken better advantage of those gifts than others. Age comes for all of us, so it seems appropriate that in his latest role, as Florida cop Andrew Yancy in Apple’s Bad Monkey,...

Writer-director Greg Mottola has offered a dispirting update on the possible Confess, Fletch sequel Fletch's Fortune. In a recent post on X, the filmmaker revealed that the new head of Miramax shot down the project. Mottola lamented that "the Fletch curse got me."

2022's Confess, Fletch has received a disappointing sequel update. An adaptation of the Gregory Mcdonald novel of the same name, the movie starred Jon Hamm as investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher, a character previously played onscreen by Chevy Chase in 1985's Fletch and 1989's Fletch Lives. While the movie was only ever released in limited theaters before a PVOD and Showtime release, Confess, Fletch reviews were almost overwhelmingly positive, earning the movie a Certified Fresh score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes along with a 75% audience score.

Despite director and co-writer Greg Mottola having initially been hired to write a sequel adapting the novel Fletch's Fortune, the writer-director has...

2022's Confess, Fletch seems to be doomed to be the kind of movie people are going to be perpetually irritating about. And we include ourselves in our number: There's just something about the movie—which is funny, quick, and centered by a fantastic Jon Hamm performance, buoyed by an amazing...

Acclaimed director Greg Mottola has revealed that his plans for a sequel to Confess, Fletch, starring Jon Hamm as the iconic investigator Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher, have been scrapped due to interference from the film’s studio.

Mottola, known for helming comedic hits like Superbad, had written a script based on Gregory Mcdonald’s 1978 Fletch novel Fletch’s Fortune. But the director claims Miramax, which controls the rights to the book franchise, shut down the project under new leadership without giving the follow-up a chance.

“I was told the first film lost money, though no real effort was made to promote it,” Mottola lamented on social media. “Feature comedy is a tough sell these days.”

The setback is just the latest in a long line of obstacles for the beloved Fletch character. Originally made famous by Chevy Chase in 1985’s Fletch and its 1989 sequel, multiple attempts over the years to bring...

“My comedy is too dry and unsentimental for the new masters,” says Greg Mottola of his cancelled Confess, Fletch sequel.

A planned sequel to the 2022 comedy Confess, Fletch is no longer happening, its director and co-writer Greg Mottola has confirmed. Jon Hamm, who played the title role of Irwin ‘Fletch’ Fletcher, was keen to return for at least one further film, and a script had been written, but a changing of executives at Miramax appears to have ended the chances of it getting made.

“Alas, the new head of Miramax, who controls the rights to all the books, shot down my sequel project,” Mottola wrote in response to a post written by critic Bilge Ebiri on Twitter/X/Muskbook. “The Fletch curse got me.”

With that response triggering messages from other users who expressed their affection for the comedy thriller, Mottola responded with some surprisingly candid insights into the sequel’s cancellation.

Fans of the Fletch franchise might need to console themselves with a steak sandwich or two.

Greg Mottola, who directed the 2022 feature Confess, Fletch, took to social media to give an update about his planned sequel to the film that starred Jon Hamm as Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher. Hailing from Miramax, Mottola’s movie rebooted the character that originated in author Gregory Mcdonald’s novel series and was memorably played by Chevy Chase in the 1985 comedy Fletch and its sequel four years later.

After film critic Bilge Ebiri posted this week on X (formerly Twitter) that Hollywood should make more Fletch movies, Mottola pointed out that his sequel to Confess, Fletch was no longer in development, with the director attributing the setback to a change of leadership at Miramax. At the time of the Confess, Fletch release, Mottola said in an interview that he had already been hired to write a...

Mad Men star Jon Hamm was prepared to walk away from the acclaimed series for being underpaid at a certain point during its run. The actor played the charismatic ad executive Don Draper for seven seasons on the iconic show.

Hamm discussed his stellar career in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where the actor recalled being prepared to leave Mad Men after Season 4. "There was definitely a moment on Mad Men where I was wildly underpaid, and that was corrected. And you go, 'Ok, good,'" he said. "But it came with a fair amount of wrestling. I was like, 'Guys, heres the deal, I will walk away from this. You need to know that.'" Hamm reiterated his resolve when asked if he would have left the series definitively, adding, "Absolutely. It was after Season 4, which was really difficult for me. I was like, 'Call my bluff.'...

While it is a little early to say that Glen Powell‘s Hit Man is the best film of 2024 it is sure to end up in the top 3 for many people. Directed by Richard Linklater, who also co-wrote the film with star Powell. Loosely based on the real-life of Gary Johnson, Hit Man follows the story of a psychology professor who moonlights as a pretend hit man for the police, but Gary’s life takes a complete 180 when he meets a beautiful woman who comes to him to have her husband killed. Hit Man also stars Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Molly Kate Bernard, Evan Holtzman, and Morgana Shaw. So, if you loved the romantic comedy and dark thriller aspects of Hit Man here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a neo-noir...

Confess, Fletch wasn't a major hit at the box office but plans for a sequel haven't officially been shelved yet. Jon Hamm, who stars as the title character, recently shared a promising, yet uncertain update on the sequel, which adapts the 1978 novel, Fletch's Fortune.

Speaking with Screen Rant to promote the Grimsburg season 1 finale, Hamm confirmed that a script has been written for Fletch's Fortune. "I don't really have a lot of specificity on it. The next script would be the next book in the series, which is Fletch's Fortune, and it's sort of loosely set in the journalism world, which is very interesting, I think, and weirdly timely given the fact that the book was written in the '70s, and it's somehow even more timely now," the actor said. "But the problem is Miramax has been bought and sold, who owns the rights, so we're kind of waiting...

Jon Hamm is uncertain if the proposed Confess, Fletch sequel will happen following studio shakeups and its box office underperformance. Despite his uncertainty, the Emmy and Golden Globe winner remains hopeful he and writer/director Greg Mottola will get to make the sequel, namely as he is a big fan of the source books. Though the box office underperformance could hinder its chances, the long road for the first movie to be made, the limited release it got and Hamm's continued passion to make the sequel could see it get the chance.

While a sequel script was said to be in the works shortly after the first movie's release, Jon Hamm has an uncertain update on Confess, Fletch 2. The 2022 movie served as a reboot of the Chevy Chase-led comedy franchise, bringing a new take to Gregory Mcdonald's books and following Hamm's titular investigative journalist as he gets wrapped...

Fans of light-hearted and fun action movies are having their day in the sun with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt‘s new action comedy film The Fall Guy. Loosely based on a 1980s TV series of the same name by Glen A. Larson and directed by Deadpool 2‘s David Leitch, the Universal Pictures film follows the story of Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stuntman who returns to work after taking a year-long break due to an injury. Colt’s latest gig is at a high-budget blockbuster sci-fi film directed by his ex-girlfriend who he still loves and when the main actor of her film disappears, Colt must find him and bring him back. If you loved all the death-defying stunts and Gosling and Blunt’s electric chemistry in The Fall Guy here are some similar movies you could watch next.

The Nice Guys (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros....

By now, everyone agrees that 1985’s Fletch, starring Chevy Chase, is a classic comedy. Indeed, the mixture of thriller and comedy made the movie iconic in its own way, with it an adaptation of the classic series by Gregory Mcdonald. In it, Chase played investigative reporter Irwin M. Fletcher, who is hired to kill a millionaire in a case of mistaken identity and is able to uncover a conspiracy involving corrupt cops, drug trafficking, and more. What made the movie unique compared to many eighties comedies was the compelling storyline, which came from Mcdonald’s book, the solid mixture of action and comedy, and that amazing soundtrack by Harold Faltermeyer.

It was such a big hit that in 1989, it got a sequel, Fletch Lives. However, while the first film is considered a classic, many maintain that the sequel is terrible, mostly because it didn’t bother to adapt one of...

1985’s Fletch was directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Andrew Bergman. The film is an adaptation of the popular novels written by Gregory McDonald and brings a more comedic and dry approach to its titular character, Fletch, played by Chevy Chase. Fletch is an investigative journalist working the undercover beat as a homeless beach junkie as he tries to uncover the truth behind a kingpin-level drug ring that is looming over greater L.A. While undercover, Fletch is propositioned by a rich man called Alan Stanwick who claims to be dying of bone cancer to kill the man in his upper-class home so that his family can reap the benefits of his life insurance. In exchange, Fletch will receive $50,000 cash and a ticket out of the country.

When this movie was made, Chevy Chase was arguably at the height of his career. While he’d opened the decade with a few horrible flops,...

Although collecting physical media doesn’t have the convenience appeal of streaming films, there is now sort of a stigma with purchasing movies through online platforms. Although its possible to compile a collection of movies through an online library, consumers will ultimately be at the whim of the service should it choose to keep the title available on their server. Additionally, there are a number of titles that don’t happen to find their way to have streaming access and physical media distributors like Shout and Vinegar Syndrome have dedicated their business to some overlooked titles.

Kino Lorber, another great media distributor has just unveiled the technical specs for the Chevy Chase Fletch films via Blu-ray.com, as well as revealing the special features that can be found on the new blu-rays. In 2022, Jon Hamm would take up the mantle in the long-in-development third movie, Confess, Fletch, which is based...

Mentions of death, torture, and suicide

Johnny Depp's next project, Modì, is not his directorial debut, but rather his second film as a director after the poorly received The Brave. Modì will tell the story of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and focus on two chaotic days in his life while he was in Paris and on the run from the police. The Brave faced controversy not only for its negative reviews but also due to behind-the-scenes tragedies and Depp casting himself as an indigenous person, similar to his later role in The Lone Ranger.

Johnny Depp is set to direct the biographical drama Modì, but contrary to popular belief, Modì isn’t Depp’s directorial debut, but his first movie is pretty difficult to find. For his next project, Johnny Depp is leaving acting behind and focusing only on directing and producing the movie titled Modì, based on the play Modigliani by Dennis McIntyre.

Based on the 1976 novel of the same name, Confess, Fletch manages to take the bones and tone of a comic murder-mystery and create something as charming as its protagonist. Gregory Mcdonald wrote 15 novels in the series, including two sets of spin-offs. Though the first novel was filmed back in 1985, the second took decades to come to the screen. That despite there already having been a sequel, one written specifically for the screen.

Mcdonald had other works adapted to film including Running Scared and Johnny Depp's directorial debut The Brave. Recurrent themes of murder, suicide, and bad deals abound. Noir-ish in intent, Confess, Fletch occupies a conspiratorial hinterland that'd be familiar to Chandler or Hammett or in some of the finer things the work of Fleming. When Fletch says "I'm an open book" he's got form.

We start as the text does, with a murder. Not one that's...

Encyclopocalypse Publications To Release The Graphic Novel “Where Wolf”: "Encylopocalypse Publication (the independent horror and grindhouse press run by Saturn-Award-winning producer and New York Times bestselling author Mark Alan Miller) is set to release their first graphic novel—Where Wolf, a creator-owned graphic novel from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese and Jack Morelli, on Friday, July 7.

The graphic novel will be available in paperback and hardcover formats—with three different covers available for readers to choose from.

This horror-comedy comic book was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on legendary horror brand Fangoria’s website. The book is set in the wild world of furry conventions, small-town Texas journalism and werewolf whodunits. Leading up to the wide release of the book, writer Rob Saucedo will tour movie theaters across the country—screening werewolf films and providing an opportunity to purchase the graphic novel early at concurrent signing...

Confess, Fletch 2 is being written even though the movie has not yet been greenlit, reveals the first film’s writer-director. Gregory Mcdonald wrote the Fletch series of novels beginning in 1974, and saw his wisecracking main character I.M. Fletcher spawn a 1985 movie starring Chevy Chase. Then last year, the character of Fletch returned to movie screens with Confess, Fletch, an adaptation of Mcdonald’s 1976 book, with Jon Hamm taking on the lead role. The new movie came and went rather quietly at the box office however, grossing just 656,000 after barely being marketed. But Confess, Fletch did garner strong critical response, holding an 85 score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie may indeed have plenty of champions among critics and on social media, but given the tepid general audience response to Confess, Fletch, it’s no surprise that a sequel has not yet been officially greenlit.

View this post on Instagram A post...

Last year marked the return of the iconic comedic reporter Irwin M. Fletcher, better known as Fletch, with the Jon Hamm-led reboot Confess, Fletch. Based on the series of mystery novels by Gregory McDonald and following the movie adaptations starring Chevy Chase, the film saw Fletch fighting to prove his innocence after being linked to multiple homicides while also investigating the heist of his fiancé's art collection. While it failed to make waves at the box office, it was a passion project for director Greg Mottola and one that critics and audiences seemed to love, becoming certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, the director revealed on Instagram that he has begun work on the screenplay for a sequel based on the book Fletch's Fortune.

The "Fletch" movies have always been the product of turmoil. I.M. Fletcher, a hybrid private eye and journalist, made his first appearance in Gregory McDonald's 1974 novel "Fletch," following the investigator as he looks into a shady but tempting offer from a fat cat billionaire. His big-screen debut came in Michael Ritchie's ("Bad News Bears") 1985 feature of the same name, starring Chevy Chase in the lead role of the loose adaptation; it was a box-office smash. Four years later, the sequel "Fletch Lives" saw Chase and Ritchie reprising their respective roles in a follow-up Roger Ebert once described as a "dispirited slog through the rummage sale of movie cliches."

Since then, Fletch has undergone more iterations than his numerous implausible identities. The most talked about version is Kevin Smith's unproduced "Fletch Won," which he envisioned as a Miramax vehicle for "Mallrats" star and frequent Smith collaborator Jason Lee.

We all have our favorite movies in any given year. The ones we raise up and champion with lofty titles like “Best Picture” or “Movie of the Year.” Sometimes in an attempt to claim that title we can even reach for consensus—or at least toward films we’re confident others have seen. However, there are times we each discover something that doesn’t have an obvious consensus. In fact, sometimes you can fall in love with a movie that it feels like nobody else in the world knows about.

Below is a collection of films that members of our staff feel that strongly about. They’re not the movies that wound up at the top of our poll for the best movies of 2022, but they’re movies that at least one of us thinks perhaps should… or that you should at least have heard about and have a chance to seek out.

James Gray’s ‘Armageddon Time’, Greg Mottola’s ‘Confess, Fletch’ also start.

Disney comedy-horror The Menu and Mubi awards favourite Aftersun are among the new titles at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend.

Opening in 610 sites for Disney, Mark Mylod’s The Menu sees a young couple travel to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant, where the chef has prepared a lavish menu and some shocking surprises.

The film debuted as a special presentation at Toronto Film Festival in September, going on to play festivals worldwide including Zurich, Rio de Janeiro, Busan and Tokyo.

British director Mylod...

Greg Mottola’s amiable film rattles along with a host of wacky characters and Hamm’s more sophisticated portrayal of Irvin Fletcher

It may or may not be a good career move for Jon Hamm to play a role once associated with Chevy Chase. But that’s what he’s doing in this screwball mystery caper, directed by Greg “Superbad” Mottola, based on the rascally character originally created in a series of novels by author and former Boston Globe reporter Gregory Mcdonald.

Hamm plays Irvin “Fletch” Fletcher, the journalist turned private investigator, a rumpled ladies’ man forever getting into scrapes. The part was taken by Chase in a couple of films in the 80s, although Hamm plays Fletch as a sophisticated wisecrack merchant, without the broad comedy that Chase went for. His Fletch is a fast-talking sleuth who is engaged for a job in Rome by the beautiful and mysterious Italian heiress Angela de Grassi.

John Slattery looks terrible. “I hate to dash your hopes,” the 60-year-old tells me down the phone from New York. “I’m in sweats. I’m making a cup of tea. I’ve just exercised. I…” He pauses, grasping for the right word to describe his current ghoulishness. He sighs. “I look like s***.” I can’t verify the alleged horror-show that is his appearance, but I’m not sure I believe him. Not John Slattery? Not Mad Men’s impeccably tailored bon vivant Roger Sterling? But he’s the king of pocket squares! With hair as white and well-coiffed as a Dulux pup!

Slattery is ruining his public image while at home with his pet dog circling his feet, his voice, at least, just as we remember it – that smooth, honeyed cadence that makes him Hollywood’s go-to for raconteurs, statesmen and authority figures. Tony Stark’s industrialist dad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Stars: Jon Hamm, Roy Wood Jr., Annie Mumolo, Ayden Mayeri, Lorenza Izzo, Kyle MacLachlan, Marcia Gay Harden | Written by Greg Mottola, Zev Borow | Directed by Greg Mottola

After what seems like an eternity of talk of a third Fletch movie, it has finally arrived. Not the Fletch we were expecting (I’d honestly still like to see Kevin Smith’s proposed version with Jason Lee) but a Fletch that has a pretty decent pedigree – including Jon Hamm playing the titular character and Greg Mottola and Zev Borow behind the camera. Ok, so it won’t match up to the craziness of Chevy Chase’s two Fletch movies (could any new Fletch movie?) but we’ve got the acting chops, plus the action And the comedy experience – all of which stand the film in good stead…

Confess, Fletch sees the roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch (Hamm) become the prime suspect...

So you have probably heard that there’s a new Fletch movie out, which revives the wisecracking , investigative journalist of Gregory Mcdonald’s mystery novels for our wonderful modern age. You know, the character originally made famous by Chevy Chase? In Fletch, the 1985 comedy that’s arguably the former SNL star’s greatest onscreen moment not involving a golf club? And 1989’s Fletch Lives, the sequel that’s…let’s say “slightly less beloved” than the original?

This latest misadventure stars Jon Hamm, an inspired choice to take up the mantle of I.

Greg Mottola recently spoke to Uproxx about the unorthodox way he and Jon Hamm handled budget restraints during shooting of his new crime caper, Confess, Fletch, which is currently playing in theaters. Mottola opened up about what happened when he set out to direct a film based on one of Gregory Mcdonald's mystery novels, saying that star Hamm pitched in to help complete shooting on the film when the budget wouldn't allow for the time needed to finish.

Confess, Fletch hit both theaters and streaming last week and marks the return of the wacky, sleuth reporter previously portrayed by comedy legend Chevy Chase in 1985’s Fletch and 1989’s Fletch Lives. This time, Emmy Award-winning madman Jon Hamm steps into the role. The comedy is based on another book in the series of novels written by Gregory McDonald and finds Fletch having to prove his innocence after he is suspected of murder while working on a case of stolen paintings.

Recently, Variety reports that the film was in need of three extra filming days, and the studio, a now-Weinstein-less Miramax, would not budge on their original scheduled budget for the indie movie and would be refused by every financier they had approached. The film’s director, Greg Mattola, explains, “Everyone said, ‘I don’t know that this kind of comedy works in this day and age.’ They just had a kind of like,...

Jon Hamm gave up 60 per cent of his salary to finance three extra days of filming on Confess, Fletch.

The new sequel follows on from crime comedies Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989). It is based on Gregory Mcdonald’s 1976 novel of the same name and is the first movie in the series not to star Chevy Chase in the lead role – which has now been taken over by Mad Men star Hamm.

In a new interview with Uproxx, director Greg Mottola said that the money that Miramax was able provide for the film only covered 27 days of shooting. When Mottola and Hamm went out to find extra funding, they were turned down by every financier.

“Everyone said, ‘I don’t know that this kind of comedy works in this day and age,’” Mottola said. “They just had a kind of like, ‘Who’s Fletch? I don’t think anyone cares anymore.

The path to bring Greg Mottola's "Confess, Fletch" to the screen was long and circuitous. The character of I.M. Fletcher, a flip and funny investigative reporter, was first introduced in Gregory McDonald's 1974 novel "Fletch," and first appeared in cinemas in the 1985 feature film of the same name starring Chevy Chase. That film was followed by a sequel -- four long years later -- called "Fletch Lives," also starring Chase. Ever since, multiple versions of Fletch have been floated, most notably, "Fletch Won," an unmade movie that director Kevin Smith wanted to make for Miramax with Jason Lee in the title role. Former Miramax head honcho and convicted serial sexual predator Harvey Weinstein insisted that Smith make the film with Ben Affleck instead, leading to a years-long push-and-pull that resulted in the film not getting made. Since then, multiple actors have attempted to play Fletch, including Zach Braff and Jason Sudeikis.

How committed was Jon Hamm to getting “Confess, Fletch” made? Director Greg Mottola revealed to Uproxx (via IndieWire) that the “Mad Men” Emmy winner gave back 60 of his salary to help finance three extra days of filming on the indie project. Mottola also gave up a portion of his own salary to extend the shoot.

According to Mottola, the money that Miramax executive Bill Block was able to put up for the film only covered 27 days of shooting. When Mottola and Hamm went out to find extra funding to bring the shoot to 30 days, they were rejected by every financier.

“Everyone said, ‘I don’t know that this kind of comedy works in this day and age,'” Mottola said. “They just had a kind of like, ‘Who’s Fletch? I don’t think anyone cares anymore.'”

“So, basically, what we did is Jon gave back 60 of his salary to the budget,...

Jon Hamm finally got the leading man role he deserved after Mad Men. It’s a shame it took seven years. Regardless, Confess, Fletch is an absolute treat. Directed by Greg Mottola and working from Gregory McDonald’s novel of the same name, Hamm plays Irwin M. Fletcher, who “used to be an investigative reporter of some repute.” Within the first few minutes, Fletch finds a dead body in the Boston townhouse he’s crashing at and is immediately considered the prime suspect by Sergeant Inspector “Slow-Mo” Monroe (Roy Wood Jr.). We learn the townhouse’s owner Owen Tasserly (John Behlmann) is somewhere in Europe and has an interest in fine art. Meanwhile, Fletch has been tasked with locating nine stolen paintings that belong to a kidnapped rich guy. He’s also dating the rich guy’s daughter (Lorenza Izzo) while being seduced by the rich guy’s wife (Marcia Gay Harden...

When most people think of Fletch, they think of the dashing and disguise-exchanging character played by Chevy Chase. 1985’s Fletch, and its (mediocre) follow-up, Fletch Lives, were based on a long-running series of novels by Gregory McDonald, and Chase was a household name at the time of their release. While those movies have their time and place, the world has moved on, and with his film Confess, Fletch Greg Mottola hopes to present audiences with a more “on-model” version of Fletch, played by Jon Hamm.

In Confess, Fletch, we’re introduced to Irwin “Fletch” Fletcher (Jon Hamm), a former investigative journalist living as a travel writer based in Rome. Now involved with an heiress (Lorenza Izzo), when her father is kidnapped, he heads back to the States to find a priceless, stolen art collection they need for his ransom. Immediately, he’s framed for murder and must stay one step...

“The Woman King” has found its throne at the box office.

The Sony release is drumming up a projected 18 million opening from 3,765 locations, in line with most analysts’ estimates heading into the weekend. The epic also benefited from landing some premium format auditoriums, such as Imax, lending an additional boost to revenue.

Though that doesn’t necessarily qualify as a grand opening, it’s a solid start for the action film, which carries a 50 million production budget and has no ties to existing franchises. What’s more, it’s more than enough for “The Woman King” to top box office charts on a slow weekend with few rival releases.

Co-financed by eOne, “The Woman King” started to draw great buzz when it made a splashy debut at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. Reviews have been largely glowing since, with the film currently holding a mighty 94 approval rating on review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.

Kevin Smith has finally managed to get Clerks III out into the world, years after he first announced that he wanted to make the film. So now it’s about time for him to move on to the next project. Looking ahead to the future, we have put together a list of Kevin Smith Movies We Want to See – and you can see the result below! Check it out, then let us know what Kevin Smith movies you most want to see by leaving a comment.

Mallrats 2

Smith’s 1995 film Mallrats wasn’t a box office success, but that hasn’t stopped talk of a sequel coming up here and there over the years – whether it would be a “Die Hard in a Mall” scenario, a limited series, or something completely different. The problem is that Mallrats is a Universal property, so Smith can’t do anything with it unless the studio is on board.

Jon Hamm is back and better than ever with his take on “Fletch” in “Confess, Fletch.”

Based on a 1976 novel of the same name by Gregory McDonald (which was turned into a few movies starring Chevy Chase), the latest adaptation follows Fletch as he tries to solve an art theft, before getting involved in a murder investigation as well. The former investigative journalist begrudgingly comes out of retirement to pursue a number of leads, including his girlfriend.

If you’re wondering how to watch “Confess, Fletch,” we’ve got the answers to all your questions.

Also Read:

‘Confess, Fletch’ Film Review: Jon Hamm and a Talented Ensemble Nail This Mystery’s Breezy Vibe Is “Confess, Fletch” in theaters or streaming?

The comedy action flick opens in theaters Sept. 16, but you can also rent the movie to stream On Demand.

Since it will become an exclusive title for Showtime after its theatrical release,...

"Confess, Fletch" is an oddity of a comedy these days. It's not a broad, busy, or loud joke machine, in which scenes run too long from improv or the story gets lost in hijinks. It's an old-school, low-key, character and plot-driven story with laughs (read our review). The long-awaited new "Fletch" film, based on the works of author Gregory Mcdonald, is the kind of 90-minute comedy for adults that rarely gets made anymore.

The fact that it's not the most modern comedy is what made co-writer and director Greg Mottola, admittedly, a little worried. Mottola, known for "Adventureland" and "Superbad," knew he was making something more outside of the box. Even its hybrid release, both theatrical and On Demand, is different, but "Confess, Fletch" is a rare breed these days. Mottola hopes its differences is appealing to audiences and, if we all wish him luck, that he'll continue to make...

In the market for a star-studded movie night? The new comedy Confess, Fletch is a perfect candidate with star Jon Hamm leading the romp. The film is based on Gregory Mcdonald’s 1976 novel of the same name and tells the story of Fletch (Hamm), who is a “roguishly charming endlessly troublesome” man. Things get wild when Fletch finds himself the prime suspect of a murder case while searching for a stolen art collection. The film arrived on Video on Demand beginning Friday, September 16, and will reportedly arrive on Showtime in late October. If you want to watch as soon as possible, viewers can purchase the film for 24.99 on Prime Video, or these other services: Where To Purchase ‘Confess, Fletch’ 24.99 Amazon Prime Video Google Play Vudu Redbox Watch the Trailer As Fletch tries to prove his innocence, he’ll discover that there’s only one way to do so and it...

Yes, it’s a bit late for a flick based on a “beach book’ (usually a paperback you’d read while getting your tan near the water’s edge), so how about something more suited to Autumn, perhaps a movie based on a mystery one would read while enjoying a warm beverage next to a fireplace? Oh, I forgot to mention that this particular film is part of a literary series featuring a much-beloved sleuth. Now, we just had a visit from Hercule Poirot a few months ago, so his mustache is “in mothballs” for the moment. Anyway, this character is not known as a detective or a “consultant” (like the fellow at 221B Baker Str.). The title “hero” of this tale is an investigative reporter, or at least he was (he’s telling everyone that he’s “retired”). And he’s been absent from the screen for 33 years now.

One of the greatest mysteries that ever faced investigative reporter Irwin Maurice Fletcher (“Fletch” to his friends) is why there haven’t been more movies featuring the character. Gregory Mcdonald’s popular Fletch novels, of which there are 11, were practically all dialogue. The author’s breezy style of repartee — which owed more to Hollywood’s screwball comedy tradition than film noir — should have lent itself well to screenplays, but only two ever got made: Back in the ’80s, we got a couple that positioned Chevy Chase as a goofy sleuth with a penchant for disguise, and others have been trying to revive him ever since.

Reborn at last with Jon Hamm in the role and Greg Mottola (“Superbad”) behind the camera, “Confess, Fletch” makes no attempt to channel what Chase did before, instead going back to Mcdonald’s philosophy that mysteries were but an excuse for a sardonic reporter to wind up other people,...

Jon Hamm’s latest big screen character has a lot in common with James Bond: He’s witty, great with the ladies, and comes doused in a signature drink. A drink says a lot about a person, and the same goes for fictional characters. Whereas James Bond is dry and sharp like a martini, the easygoing charmer at the heart of “Confess, Fletch” is a little sour, a little sweet, and unafraid of a little flamboyance.

The comparison is not lost on Hamm.

“There’s very much some shared DNA there, for sure. It’s a series of stories. He’s sort of placed in different environments and conundrums and finds himself constantly on the wrong side of the law sometimes and has to use his wits and his wilds to get out. He doesn’t have the budget that maybe James Bond has for gadgets, but he does have...

Don Draper may have been the role of a lifetime, but Irwin Fletcher is the role Jon Hamm was born to play. Equal parts goofy, charismatic, boozy, and clever, Hamm is firmly in his element in Greg Mottola’s entertaining art heist romp “Confess, Fletch” (Fletch being our hapless hero’s preferred moniker). Swashbuckling through the fast-paced action like a clumsy James Bond (with far less combat training), he finds himself at the center of a high-stakes art theft with a family fortune at stake. Surrounded by an eccentric ensemble of fabulously suspicious characters played by a deep bench of fantastic comedic actors, It doesn’t break the mold, but it’s an unmitigated delight.

The movie is based on the “Fletch” novels by Gregory McDonald, a popular mystery series published between 1974 and 1994. The character, an ex-marine turned journalist who stumbles into Pi work, was first dramatized onscreen by Chevy Chase...

The comedic whodunit “Confess, Fletch” features the best leading-man role that star Jon Hamm has enjoyed since his breakthrough performance as Don Draper in the exceptionally rich Madison Avenue drama “Mad Men.”

In the last seven years, Hamm has stood out in a few decent supporting roles — “Bad Times at the El Royale,” “Richard Jewell” — and some voice acting performances, particularly Tony Stark in the Marvel animated comedy “M.O.D.O.K.” and a brief cameo as “Don Grouper” in a 2016 episode of “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Hamm gets to show more of his range in “Confess, Fletch,” a breezy murder mystery based on the second of Gregory McDonald’s “Fletch” novels, the first of which was adapted into a cultishly revered 1985 Chevy Chase vehicle.

Also Read:

‘Confess, Fletch’: Jon Hamm Assumes the Mantle from Chevy Chase in First Trailer (Video)

With “Confess, Fletch”, director Greg Mottola and co-writer Zev Borow highlight Hamm’s...

I read Confess, Fletch for the first time in high school and, ever since, it’s remained a personal favorite. That often surprises people when I tell them that, not least because the name “Fletch” is less associated with Gregory Mcdonald’s genuinely funny novels than Chevy Chase’s considerably goofier incarnation of the journalist-sleuth in 1985’s Fletch and 1988’s Fletch Lives. The original Fletch adaptation essentially retains the structure and basics of Mcdonald’s original but changes the tone to better suit Chase. For better and worse, Mcdonald’s books string together often hilarious dialogue exchanges with aspirationally Hemingway-esque connective prose; they work better when the emphasis is on […]

The post “It’s Not Funny if It’s Not Bright”: Greg Mottola on Confess, Fletch first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Ayden Mayeri and Jon Hamm in Greg Mottola’s Confess, Fletch. Photo: Paramount In 1985, Fletch took an interesting approach to Gregory McDonald’s novel—essentially keeping the same story but changing the tone, dialing down some of its darker elements and allowing star Chevy Chase to give the character some...