Rachael Leigh Cook joins cast of gender-swapped remake 'He's All That'
Rachael Leigh Cook, the star of the 1999 teen romantic comedy film She’s All That has joined the cast of Miramax’s gender-swapped remake, titled He’s All That.
Cook wil be portraying the mother of Padgett Sawyer, the remake’s protagonist, played by TikTok star Addison Rae. In the original film, Cook, who was 21 years old at the time, played Laney Boggs, the lovable but unpopular art nerd given a makeover by Freddie Prinze Jr.’s jock character, Zackary Siler. The actress, who also starred in teen flicks like The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), Josie and the Pussycats (2001) and television series Into the West (2005), Perception (2015) and most recently Love, Guaranteed (2020) on Netflix, is now 41.
The remake flips the roles of the two teens and updates the story for modern times, casting Addison Rae as a popular influencer, a role inspired by Freddie Prinze Jr.'s character. Meanwhile, Cobra Kai star Tanner Buchanan is set to portray Cameron Kweller, the least popular boy in school. In an attempt to avenge her reputation from an embarrassing fallout with her boyfriend, Padgett accepts the challenge to turn Cameron into the school’s Prom King.
All bets are off when it comes to these two. Meet Padgett Sawyer (@whoisaddison) and Cameron Kweller (Tanner Buchanan). #HesAllThat pic.twitter.com/YemIWkMZq9
— He's All That (@HesAllThatMovie) December 8, 2020
Details are still unclear whether or not Cook will be reprising her role as Laney, who is now mother to Padgett, or if her character is completely unerelated and original to the remake.
Cook's most recent film, Love Guaranteed on Netflix became the platform’s No. 1 most-watched film of September.
In an interview with Variety about her new film and her previous experience with She’s All That, Cook said: “I’m just grateful every day that I didn’t come of age in the era of camera phones, and yet, that makes me sound way more scandalous than I actually was.”
Cook has nothing but fond and nostalgic memories for the original film, which grossed $103 million worldwide when it was first released. She's All That also enjoyed a chart-topping soundtrack, with classic hits like Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me”, and turned both of its leads into the most sought-after teen stars in Hollywood overnight.
The remake, directed by Mark Waters, who helmed Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, is penned by R. Lee Fleming, who also wrote the original script for She’s All That. Original producers Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay are also on board in the upcoming Miramax production.
Other cast members who have been confirmed as part of the film are Madison Pettis (Cory in the House), Peyton Meyer (Girl Meets World), Isabella Crovetti (The Neighbors), Andrew Matarazzo (Teen Wolf), Vanessa Dubasso (Modern Family), Myra Malloy (Rising Star USA), and Annie Jacob (Saving Zoë), among others.
The film is expected to be released in late 2021, although no official release date has been confirmed yet. While waiting for Hollywood's latest reimagining to drop, get a dose of nostalgia with some of the best scenes from She's All That below.
(Images via Miramax)
