Dukes of Hazzard, The Prequel

Posted by: Jerrica

Why would a prequel to the big screen version of a classically early-80s TV show have a chance to be better than the first movie? Maybe it's because "The Dukes of Hazzard" movie was not received well by fans of the old television show, nor did the former "Dukes" stars themselves appreciate it. Maybe it's because the reason the movie wasn't received well was because the characters fans still love were nothing like the characters they remember. Maybe it's because Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott aren't Tom Wopat and John Schneider any more than they are Luke and Bo Duke, and Jessica Simpson is certainly not Daisy. Granted the Jessica Simpson sexy Dukes Music Video was a smash hit, hmmm wonder why?

If you're biggest problem with the big screen remake of "Dukes" goes to that last issue of haphazard casting, then you might have a reason to think a prequel would be better than the first attempt at a "Dukes" movie. A prequel is gearing up for a direct-to-DVD release, which is a bad sign in and of itself, but it seems that all of the roles (definitely all three Duke cousins) will be recast for this version. The movie will visit Bo and Luke as teenagers who defy Boss Hogg's attempt at imposing prohibition against moonshine as the young Duke boys blaze their way into Hazzard County to defy Boss Hogg and save Uncle Jesse's farm from foreclosure. Highlights will feature the origins of the General Lee and Daisy Duke's daisy dukes.

Bob Berlinger of the critcally-acclaimed TV series "Arrested Development" will direct the prequel, and it is set to begin shooting in L.A. around mid-June. The director of the first movie also worked on "Arrested Development," but actor/writer/director of "Super Troopers" Jay Chandrasekhar might not have been the best choice to direct the "Dukes" movie. Released on August 5, 2005, "Dukes" made $80 million in domestic theaters with a production budget of approximately $50 million. The stars attached, such as Scott, Knoxville, Simpson and Burt Reynolds probably accounted for a good portion of the money involved in making the movie with their salaries alone, and it might be more of a gamble than Warner Brothers is willing to take to attempt a big screen prequel with the same actors. Whatever the reason, this could make the prequel a better endeavor by proxy, given the dissatisfaction of some fans with the casting choices for last year's "Dukes" film.

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