New Line Rebooting "Police Academy"

New Line is rebooting the "Police Academy" franchise.

According to the Hollywood Reporter: New Line is looking for recruits for a relaunched "Police Academy" movie. Original producer Paul Maslansky is back for the new iteration, which has no writer or director attached.

The original seven-film comedy series set up the premise that due to a policy change, the police department must accept all willing recruits, effectively abolishing various standards.

The films followed a group of misfit recruits including a likeable rogue, a busty blond, a small mousy woman with a loud angry voice, a gentle giant, a gun-nut and a one-man sound effects machine. Normally set up to fail by an ambitious captain, the group always ends up saving the day for their boss--the kind yet clueless Commandant Lassard.

The first film, released in 1984, starred Steve Guttenberg as Mahoney, a repeat offender who is forced to enter the academy and emerges as the group's leader. Other notable characters included Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), gun-crazy Tackleberry (David Graf), mousy Hooks (Marion Ramsey) and sound effects-spewing Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow).

The first was R-rated and took in $81.2 million at the domestic box-office and $146 million worldwide in 1984--making it easily one of the year's biggest hits. All told, the franchise took in about $240 million worldwide and inspired a pair of TV series.

It's hoped that this reboot will not only revitalize the brand but will mix a bunch of new talent with seasoned comedy veterans.

Said Maslansky: "It's going to be very worthwhile to the people who remember it and to those who saw it on TV. It's going to be a new class. We hope to discover new talent and season it with great comedians. It'll be anything but another movie with a numeral next to it. And we'll most probably retain the wonderful musical theme."

As of yet there has been no word on what tone the comedy will take--the raunchier, edgier comedy of the early films or the kid-friendly slapstick of the later ones. Either way, it’s another remake for Hollywood, let’s just hope they also don’t screw this up.

I hope they bring Steve Guttenberg back, along with that guy who does “the voices” (parodied heavily and hilariously on “Family Guy”).