Of all the movies that defined me growing up, House Party is at the top of the list. The silly comedy starred rap duo Kid 'n Play, with Martin Lawrence as their foul-breathed buddy, featured the best dance-off in history, had a decades' worth of high-top fades and Gumby hairstyles, and was generally just a blast. I still watch it regularly and so do most of my friends. So the idea of a new version doesn't sit well, especially since it might not include the "Kid 'n Play kickstep", but having LeBron James on board the project is at least intriguing.
The future NBA Hall of Famer will produce and possibly appear in the new House Party, which James stresses is NOT a reboot...
"This is definitely not a reboot. It’s an entirely new look for a classic movie. Everyone I grew up with loved House Party. To partner with this creative team to bring a new House Party to a new generation is unbelievable.”
That creative team includes Atlanta writers Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori, although no director has been found at this point. As expected, there will be a star-studded soundtrack put together for the film, with producer Maverick Carter stating they are "trying out ideas" for musicians. Uh oh. The original 1990 movie's soundtrack boasted a who's who of rap/R&B stars including Flavor Flav, Today, Full Force, and LL Cool J. The story was simple; two best friends decide to throw a kickass house party, only for Kid to get grounded and have to sneak out to get there. Hijinks ensue.
House Party spawned a handful of sequels, ending with the atrocious House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute which was 100% Kid 'n Play free. I don't need to talk about how influential House Party was. Just check out the full dance-off below and get a taste of its greatness. Yes, if I put my mind to it I can still do this whole routine. Let's hope LeBron doesn't ruin it. Ain't my type of hype, baby!
