A beloved Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedy is heading back to Hollywood nearly three decades after audiences first fell in love with its unlikely couple.
Warner Bros. is developing a remake of “You’ve Got Mail,” the 1998 hit that brought the two stars together as rival New York City bookstore owners who unknowingly fall for each other online.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news Tuesday, November 10, filmmaker Jason Orley is attached to write and direct the new version for Warner Bros.
The original movie earned more than $250 million worldwide and remains one of the most recognizable romantic comedies of the 1990s.
As per Variety, Orley is working from an earlier screenplay by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, the writing team behind “Can Hardly Wait” and “Josie and the Pussycats.”
Neal Moritz and Tania Landau are producing through Original Film.
The studio has not announced a cast, filming schedule, or release date. Details about how the new movie will approach the original story also remain under wraps.
There has been no announcement about whether Hanks or Ryan will be involved.
Why ‘You’ve Got Mail’ Became a Beloved ’90s Classic
Hanks, 70, played Joe Fox, the wealthy owner of a growing bookstore chain threatening the livelihood of Kathleen Kelly, an independent bookstore owner portrayed by Ryan, 64.
Their characters frequently clashed in person, unaware they had developed a romantic connection through anonymous online messages.
The film was directed by Nora Ephron, who had previously worked with the actors on another beloved romance, “Sleepless in Seattle.”
Released Friday, December 18, 1998, “You’ve Got Mail” became a major commercial success.
According to Box Office Mojo, it earned approximately $250.8 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $65 million.
Its supporting cast included Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Jean Stapleton and Steve Zahn.
‘You’ve Got Mail’ Has a Hollywood History Dating Back Decades
Although audiences closely associate the story with Hanks and Ryan, “You’ve Got Mail” was itself a modern interpretation of an older romantic comedy.
The film drew inspiration from the 1940 classic “The Shop Around the Corner,” starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, per Collider.
That movie was adapted from Hungarian playwright Miklós László‘s 1937 play “Parfumerie.” Ephron’s version replaced handwritten correspondence with email, making the romance especially recognizable to audiences experiencing the early days of online communication.
The remake’s writers now face the challenge of revisiting a story whose most memorable technological details belong firmly to another era.
Who Is Directing the New ‘You’ve Got Mail’?
Orley previously directed the romantic comedy “I Want You Back,” starring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate, as well as the coming-of-age film “Big Time Adolescence.”
He also directed episodes of “Bupkis,” the Peacock comedy starring Pete Davidson.
His upcoming film “Close Personal Friends” features Brie Larson, Jack Quaid, Lily Collins and Henry Golding.
For now, Warner Bros. has kept its plans for the new “You’ve Got Mail” largely private.
Whether the remake introduces an entirely new couple or finds a way to acknowledge the original remains to be seen; what is certain is that one of the 1990s’ most successful screen romances is getting another chance to reach moviegoers.
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s Fan-Favorite ’90s Movie Is Getting a Remake After 28 Years