"Bring out the Welcome wagon.

Ice Cube has signed on to play the title role in a film adaptation of the classic 1970s TV series Welcome Back, Kotter, it was announced Tuesday.

"There was no bigger fan of the original show than me, and I'm very excited to be able to put a new twist on it," the Barbershop star said in a statement.

Cube will play the titular Gabe Kotter, a slacker turned teacher who returns to his inner-city alma mater and who sees himself in the new batch of underprivileged troublemakers. He works to inspire the seemingly apathetic students, known as the Sweathogs."

Awesome...he will be perfect!

its gonna be shit... my gawd does hollywood know how to ruin childhood memories or what

He should be playing Washington, don't you think? But I guess he's too old now.

now, now.....let's not be negative.

pkidwell said:

he would have been great as Washington.....30-40 years ago!

IAintTheOne said:

No shit, man. I've been saying this for a few years now. Welcome Back Kotter is one of my ALL TIME FAVE shows. I do think there is something behind Hollywood doing shows that they know were faves of many and not really on the positive end either. It shows how extremely lazy Hollywood is and who much they want to keep out new talented writers with fresh ideas. Instead of taking a chance on something that's promising, they rather fuck up a great show that's over 25 years old with today's bullshit. That's no accident.

blackguitaristz said:

All true.

I wish they would STOP ruining classic TV shows this way! I also heard that they're making a "Dallas" motion picture in which J-Lo will play Sue Ellen (LOL) and John Travolta will play J.R.!! Stop it,please!

Yup, I agree. Hollywood has gotten real lazy. I heard "The A Team" is coming to the big screen too. The only possible good thing to come out of "Welcome Back Kotter" flick is maybe they'll put the show on DVD.

SPYZFAN1 said:

It's already on DVD.Well...a 6-episode DVD,that is.Only available at Best Buy


I want them to release the complete,full seasons.This DVD is only a teaser,lol.

DavidEye said:

Oh, gawd.....I think I can imagine Ice Cube as Kotter, but J-Lo as Sue Ellen is a stretch.....

cubic61052 said:

I hear ya!

DavidEye said:

and i hear both of you ...even if travolta makes a cameo appearance in "kotter" i don't think it can be saved.
tell me something...wasn't victoria principal sue ellen in dallas?

Pheromone28 said:

No,the Sue Ellen character was played by Linda Gray.

Victoria Principal played Pam.She's the one who had a year-long "dream" in the craziest cliffhanger of all,lol.

DavidEye said:

ok.thanks.

cubic61052 said:

I LOVE CUBE HE,S MY THUG LOVER OH YEAH U TRICKS WE BE CLUBBIN ANIT NOTHING WRONG GET YOU,RE CLUB ON YEAH YEAH YEAH WE BE CLUBBIN PRINCE SHOWED US LOVE UP IN THE CLUB

Damn just what the world needs, another TV show turned into a film.

Why another old TV series being remade for the big screen? Didn't they learn from those artistic duds like Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch, The Honeymooners, Bewitched, Josie and The Pussycats, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Mod Squad and the Avengers? They are already about to lay waste to Miami Vice and The A Team, and now Welcome Back Kotter. Are the Hollywood studios really that anxious for a big screen mega-budget version of Charles In Charge? Or are they looking for Matthew McConaughey or Health Ledger to star in the motion picture version of MacGuyver?

Thanks David Eye. Didn't know it was on DVD. There was also supposed to be a big screen version of "Good Times" back in 1998 but the idea was scrapped. (Thank God). I could see it now..Shot by Hype Williams(lol)
Ving Rhames - James Evans
Loretta Devine - Florida Evans
J.J - Chris Tucker
Thelma - Vivica A Fox
Micheal - Tevin Campbell
Wilona - Pam Grier

A big-screen version of "Good Times"?? That would have been dreadful

They would've added hip-hop music and rappers,which would have totally ruined the feel of the original.

SPYZFAN1 said:

LMAO! I'd only have one substitution...Dave Chappelle for Chris Tucker as J.J.

Yeah it was supposed to have been like "The Brady Bunch" where the chracters are still stuck in the 1970's (in today's society). I'm SO glad that movie was never made.

There was also supposed to be a big screen satire version of "Three's Company" starring Ben Stiller, Winona Ryder, and Cameron Diaz in 1998 but the script was so bad it was scrapped.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Good. "Good Times" would have REALLY been fucked up. That show was depressing as hell anyways. They NEVER could make it out the ghetto. Never. Whenever something good would happen, BANG, that shit would blow up in their face. That shit's not funny.

I'm a big Cube fan. But this is a colossal misstep. Welcome Back Kotter is a classic. I can't imagine anyone reprising the roles other than the original stars. Brace yourselves for another Wild, Wild, West -- remember when Wil Smith did that one?

SPYZFAN1 said:

You know you wrong for that!

well we will just have to see. hopefully it will be good.

ICE CUBE? As GABE KOTTER?

I don't see how "Welcome Back, Kotter" (a beloved show of mine since childhood) is going to translate very successfully to modern times, nor to a feature film. WBK was SO much a 70s program and also, basically, a very innocent and sweet show.

Obviously today's 'sophisticated' audiences aren't going to be entertained, amused, or interested in storylines about how Barbarino accidentally ended up with two dates to the prom, or wacky escapades resulting from Horshack's test anxiety. No, this film will have to modernize things and I'm sorry but it'll suck to see the Sweathogs getting detention for texting during class or because they were listening to thei iPods, or see them having to deal with heavy issues like AIDS, drugs, gang violence (past just a punch in the nose, I mean..), or knocking up their girlfriend (and I bet Ice Cube is figuring this film, with these characters who have the backgrounds and live in the environment they do, would be the perfect platform to tackle those issues)

I wish Hollywood would get over this idiotic - and as already stated on this thread, LAME and TIRED - trend of making film versions of television shows. Haven't they learned that it mostly never works?

WillyWonka said:

I agree but some D*ckheads will still buy tickets and the DVD.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Dont' forget it's all about money. This trend is an attempt to milk more money from cows they already own. Better that than compensate someone for original ideas. Thats why my Thieves In The Temple screenplay hasn't found a buyer....