‘Switch’, Prequel to Jackie Brown Moving Ahead

In 1997, Quentin Tarantino released Jackie Brown. An underrated film burdened with being the follow-up to Pulp Fiction, an almost universally acclaimed film. It never really had a chance. It was based on an Elmore Leonard book, Rum Punch. About two years ago it was announced that another of Leonard’s books, The Switch, would be turned into a movie as well and it’s intimately connected to Jackie Brown. Now there’s finally some movement on the project.

Variety broke the story on the casting of the film’s two lead roles, Louis Gara and Ordell Robbie. John Hawkes and yasiin bey (formerly, and less pretentiously, known as Mos Def) will take on the roles formerly performed by Robert De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson in the 1997 original. Switch takes place 15 years before Jackie Brown as Louis and Ordell attempt to kidnap a corrupt real estate broker. So, a prequel to a Tarantino film, starring the magnificent John Hawkes and directed by an untested filmmaker. Could go either way but my fingers are crossed.

Switch will be directed by Dan Schechter and production starts in May, giving you plenty of time to watch Jackie Brown if you haven’t, because you should.