According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has begun development on a remake of their 1992 comedy smash Sister Act, which starred Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to hide at a convent as part of a witness protection program after the mob puts a hit on her.
Female-driven comedy specialists Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Karen McCullah (Legally Blonde, The House Bunny, She’s the Man) will pen the new version, with Alli Shearmur (Cinderella) producing.
Released by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures label, the original made $140 million at the US box office and was quickly followed by a sequel the next year, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, which featured a young Lauren Hill before she hit it big with The Fugees. Deloris Van Cartier/Sister Mary Clarencene is considered one of Whoopi Goldberg’s signature roles, and she also co-produced a musical version of “Sister Act” for the West End and Broadway stage, which wound up with a slew of Olivier and Tony Award nominations.
