Trading Places is a comedy classic. Starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the movie explores race and social status and the power the rich have over each. It is a classic tale of swapping positions in society and what would happen.
But could it be remade in 2020? If so, what would happen? How would the script play out?
We begin on the streets of Philadelphia:
A homeless, down-on-his-luck Eddie Murphy collides with investor Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd calls the police and falsely accuses Eddie Murphy of assaulting him. Someone with a phone records the incident. Aykroyd is shamed on social media, the cops give him a ticket, the Dukes fire him for publicly embarrassing the firm, he loses his job, his girlfriend, and ends up homeless.
Meanwhile, the attention of Aykroyd's actions gives Murphy a chance to do a GoFundMe to get back on his feet. He makes more than he expects and goes to community college, where he meets Jamie Lee Curtis. Curtis, a black sheep niece of the Dukes, is currently laid off of her job at a Hooters because of a global pandemic and has resorted to creating an OnlyFans account to make ends meet. The duo create an alternative financial firm and follow the advice of an anonymous online investor.
They find out the anonymous advisor is Aykroyd. Murphy and Curtis make Aykroyd recognize his privilege and resign never to weaponize 911 again. Together, the trio out-innovate the struggling Dukes firm until the Dukes are bailed out by their political connections in Washington DC.
The ultimate 2020 movie.
