Samuel L. Jackson in Talks for 'Shaft' Sequel
Can you dig it? "Shaft" is back.
Samuel L. Jackson is in talks to reprise the titular role from the 2000 movie, according to Variety. Jessie T. Usher ("Survivor's Remorse") would play his son.
The sequel, written by "black-ish" creator Kenya Barris and directed by Tim Story, would follow up on the 2000 reboot. The original 1971 blaxploitation film starred Richard Roundtree as John Shaft, a private detective who goes up against gangsters in Harlem.
The reboot, directed by John Singleton, centered on the original Shaft's nephew (Jackson), an NYPD detective who investigates a racially-charged murder. Both moves were box office successes.
As Variety notes, this new "Shaft" sequel seems like a way of passing the torch to a younger actor to take over the franchise, much like "Creed" did with Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan or "Blade Runner 2049" with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling.