Despite the popularity of the Fletch movies (starring Chevy Chase as the sarcastic reporter), it has taken longer to get more of the movies made than it took to get another Superman movie made -- and presumably, Superman Returns required many more special effects. Director Kevin Smith (whose new movie Clerks II is in theaters and who was also associated with Superman at one point) had been talking about making a Fletch movie years ago. As in more than five years ago. He wrote on his View Askew message board back then that he wanted to cast Jason Lee (who now stars in the title row of the terrific show My Name is Earl) as Fletch.

However, in October of 2005, Smith left the Fletch project. Producer David List said at the time that the humor of Kevin Smith was not the humor of Fletch. I don't know that I agree with that assessment, but I am not a movie producer. Since 2005, Zach Braff of Scrubs and Garden State fame has been attached to the project as a young Irwin Fletcher. I think Braff could be an effective Fletch, but honestly? As a huge fan of the Fletch books by Gregory McDonald back in the 1980's when I was a teenager, I have to say that perhaps the best actor I've ever envisioned in the role is Tim Matheson (who actually appeared in the first Fletch movie, though not as Fletch). Do we have any young Tim Mathesons running around? I think someone else who could be great in the role, who possesses the right edginess, is Justin Chambers, who plays Dr. Alex Karev on Grey's Anatomy. But for the record, Jason Lee would be brilliant.

Currently, Bill Lawrence, the creator of Scrubs, has been signed by The Weinstein Co. to write a prequel to Fletch. Zach Braff is still attached to the project (don't get me wrong -- I'm a big Braff fan, but I think of him as more angst-ridden than Fletch is). Interestingly, it was Braff who brought Lawrence on board, and Lawrence will end up using his pull to sign Braff. Lawrence is a huge Fletch fan, who claims he can recite the original movie line for line. I was more of a fan of the books than the movie, so I am hoping that Lawrence keeps the original spirit of Fletch from the books when he writes his version. The movie is supposed to start shooting in April.