Almost just as soon as it was announced that Dreamworks was planning to remake the 1984 Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin hit ALL OF ME, it seems that the legal battle has also kicked off. The original body-switch comedy was a favourite of mine in my younger years and showcased Martin in his peak.
Although usually this kind of narrative is a complete switch between two people, in ALL OF ME, Lily Tomlin was a dying millionairess who tries to achieve immorality by putting her spirit into Steve Martin’s attorney character, and then they must learn to work together in the same body. The rumour is that Dreamworks are trying to push the remake but with a man diving into a woman’s spirit instead, those crazy idea-cats.
However, even before any actors are mentioned or attached, Kings Road Entertainment (KRE) who own the original copyright aren’t giving it up easy, especially as they haven’t produced anything new since the mid-1990s and are allegedly holding onto anything they’ve got from their back catalogue. This is mainly because Sven Ebeling, a shareholder formerly known as head of production at the company, says he holds the rights to ALL OF ME, and there’s various legal fights happening…as we speak. I guess time will tell, and with that shift in story, maybe Dreamworks can just claim it’s a different film, howbeit with the same name. As long as Steve Martin nabs a place somehow, that’s most important…
Source: THR
