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Blazing Saddles is getting a remake with an all-star cast as... cats

From Digital Spy

An undeniable genius of comedy is Mel Brooks. His hits include films like Young Frankenstein, The Producers, and Spaceballs. And, of course, Blazing Saddles.

A satirical black comedy, Blazing Saddles takes aim at American racism and how Hollywood, though it's mythologising of the wild west, covered it up. The film follows Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little) a Black man appointed to keep watch over an all-white town.

In 2006, Blazing Saddles was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. Now, it's being remade... as an animated film about cats.

Blazing Samurai plot: What is Blazing Samurai about?

Photo credit: Align
Photo credit: Align

Hank is a scrappy dreamer of a dog who always wanted to become a samurai and when he meets Ika, a hustler and all-around baddie, he's manipulated into becoming samurai for Kakamucho, a town entirely inhabited by cats.

Now in Kakamucho, Hank meets Jimbo who, thanks to dabbling in his own stash of home-brewed catnip, is no longer the fastest sword in town. He reluctantly takes Hank under his wing and teaches him what being a samurai really means.

Forging the first real friendship between a cat and a dog, the two set off on a journey to save the town of Kakamucho from the evil Ika Chu…and ultimately Hank learns what it means to become a true samurai.

Okay, so maybe some of those culturally and historically significant facets of the original might be lost in the remake, cheekily titled Blazing Samurai. But there are still high hopes for a comedy well worth watching.

Blazing Samurai cast: Who voices Hank, and the cat-villagers?

Photo credit: align
Photo credit: align

Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs The World) stars as Hank, with Marvel star Samuel L Jackson taking on the role of his mentor Jimbo. The big-bad Ika Chu is voiced by Ricky Gervais.

They are joined by Heavenly Joy Jerkins (from America's Got Talent) as Emiko, a plucky kitten whose mother Yuki is voiced by Michelle Yeoh, Djimon Hounsou (of Marvel and DC fame) as the gentle giant Sumo, and George Takei as Ohga, Ika’s henchman.

The town further populated by cats voiced by Gabriel Iglesias, Aasif Mandvi, veteran performer Sandra Tsing Loh, Mel B (yes, that Mel B), and Randy Orton. And of course, Mel Brooks has a voice-cameo too.

Brooks voices Shogun, the misguided but benevolent supreme leader. What the Shogun lacks in stature, he makes up for in empathy, teaching that tolerance goes a long way in solving seemingly big problems. (via Deadline.)

Blazing Samurai release date: The perennial question, when is Blazing Samurai out in cinemas?

Photo credit: Align
Photo credit: Align

Blazing Samurai was recently rescued from a four-year stint in development hell thanks production/finance venture Align, and is now set to be finished by late summer 2021. Its release date is, tentatively, later in 2021 but as we know dates can be murky at best.

On another note, one can only hope that some level of input from those who actually know Samurai culture have been consulted on the film which, so far, feels slightly icky as regards the very real culture from which it pulls. Hopefully Mel Brooks' expert hand at comedy also helps.

Blazing Samurai is out in cinemas in 2021


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