A planned modern reboot of the beloved 1980s comedy franchise Police Academy was reportedly abandoned following the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Comedian and writer Ike Barinholtz, who was co-writing the screenplay, revealed that the studio decided to halt the project amid the widespread protests and national conversation surrounding police brutality in the United States.
Barinholtz, alongside his writing partner David Stassen, had been commissioned to develop a new script for the film, which was expected to star and be produced by the popular comedy duo Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Speaking on his Funny You Ask podcast, Barinholtz, 49, described their vision for the revival as a 'dirty, rated R, modern' take on the original crime comedy that famously featured an eccentric class of police cadets, including Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, Michael Winslow, and Bubba Smith.
The writer also recounted an amusing, if slightly awkward, pitch meeting where the original Police Academy creator, who was attached to the deal, insisted on bringing back members of the original cast. Barinholtz noted that his partner began listing actors who had long since passed away, such as Bubba Smith (Hightower) and Paul David Graf (Tackleberry), who died in 2011 and 2001 respectively. However, this detail was overshadowed by the broader societal shift.
Crucially, Barinholtz explained that the turning point came during the film's development when Michael Brown, an unarmed Black 18-year-old, was shot dead by a white police officer, Darren Wilson. This incident ignited nationwide protests and brought the issue of police conduct and racial injustice to the forefront of American discourse. The studio reportedly concluded that it was an inappropriate time to produce a light-hearted police comedy, particularly one featuring two prominent Black actors portraying police officers.
The original Police Academy film, directed by Hugh Wilson and released in 1984, centred on a diverse group of misfits joining the police force after a city mayor relaxed entry requirements. It spawned six sequels, concluding with Mission to Moscow in 1994, and remains a cult classic for its slapstick humour and memorable characters.