By Because it worked so well with The Mask, there’s going to be a sequel/reboot to the Ernest P. Worrell franchise. Son of Ernest will follow the life of Ernest’s long-lost son. John Cherry, the creator of the character, will produce the project for Ruckusfilm. Relative newcomer Dan Ewen is in charge of the Son of Ernest script. Jim Varney, the actor who played Ernest, passed away from lung cancer back in 2000.
Ewen told Variety, “We plan to honor the originals and Jim Varney while birthing a new chapter that lies somewhere between not sucking and Earth-shatteringly funny.” Ewen also wrote the following in an email to First Showing:
I am the sick bastard who’s been handed the Jaws of Life in the hope that he can resurrect the glorious marriage of camp and shameful giggles that is the Ernest franchise. I accept this charge knowing the risks, and fully aware that my family could disown me if the resulting cinematic experience is less than pure genius.
Ernest Goes to Camp was one of my favorite movies as a kid, and I had an unflagging fondness for Hey Vern, It’s Ernest on TV. (I remember being bummed back in 2000 when I heard that Varney had passed away. He was only 50.) Sometimes I rewatch Ernest Goes to Camp and Ernest Goes to Jail for a nostalgic laugh. I’m not going to lie: that “Bravehearts” montage in Goes to Camp is still badass, and ditto the battle scene against those Krader guys.
No word if Dr. Otto also had a child.
[Variety via First Showing]