Rosie Perez hopes “chemistry” returns for ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ remake

Rosie Perez has spoken about her hopes for the White Men Can’t Jump remake.

The actress, who is promoting her new crime thriller Now & Then, told NME about her wishes for the reboot that will see rapper Jack Harlow make his acting debut.

In the 1992 film Perez stars as Gloria Clemente, girlfriend of Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) who joins forces with Syd Deane (Wesley Snipes) for basketball hustling. Billy makes his living by hustling streetballers who assume he can’t play well because he’s white.

Perez said of the planned reboot: “I hope they get the chemistry back, the same chemistry [Harrelson, Snipes and I] had. We’ve remained friends throughout the years – not ‘Hollywood friends’, but real friends who call each other and say: ‘Let’s hang out.’

“The secret was in the casting, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had on a set and it’s undeniable that, 30 years later, that chemistry is still palpable,” she said.

Elsewhere in the interview Perez spoke a little about her role as Flora, a detective in hot pursuit of justice, in Apple TV+‘s Now & Then.

“I don’t want to give anything away, but I hate when you watch a crime drama and the detective or the sergeant is obsessed with the case but it’s unexplained and you don’t understand why. I’m addicted to the Investigation Discovery channel, and on there, you can tell those detectives have a personal attachment and that’s why they can’t let a case go. You’ll see my character’s arc around the fourth episode, it’s so good!”

Meanwhile, the White Men Can’t Jump remake, which sees Harlow star as Billy, is being directed by filmmaker Calmatic based off a script by Doug Hall and Kenya Barris, the latter of whom is also producing through his Khalabo Ink Society company.

Hall, along with pro basketballer Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil, Noah Weinstein and E. Brian Dobbins will executive produce.

It’s not yet known when the rebooted film will release.