Like a feverish coma nightmare, Drop Dead Fred is one of those bizarre and crappy late 80s/early 90s films that I’d all but repressed the memory of.  Until today, when Universal announced it’s going to remake it with Russell Brand.

The 1991 original starred Phoebe Cates as a wallflower who loses her job and husband during the course of a lunch hour. Forced to live back home, she’s reunited with her childhood imaginary friend (Brit actor Rik Mayall), who promises to help but causes more havoc.  The first “Fred” was critically drubbed and commercially unsuccessful. But it did achieve a certain cult status and is considered a film that fell short of its full potential. [THR]

EXEC 1: So we’ve got Russell Brand under contract.  We need to find him a project.
EXEC 2: Who’s Russell Brand?
EXEC 1: He’s that annoying British guy with stupid hair.
EXEC 2: Hmm… You know, Drop Dead Fred was about an annoying British guy with stupid hair.
EXEC 1: Drop Dead Fred? That has to be the worst idea I’ve ev- oh hey, it’s lunch time.