[via Slashfilm]

First, Chevy Chase considered returning to the iconic role with Kevin Smith, but that turned ugly. Then, it was going to be Smith directing Jason Lee. Then, it was going to be Bill Lawrence directing Zach Braff. Ryan Reynolds was mentioned a lot, and jumped out to me as a perfect choice. The most recent talk had Joshua "Pacey" Jackson stepping into the role, with Steve Pink (Accepted) at the helm. But it seems the role of Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher is still up for grabs. Now The Office's John Krasinski is interested, bringing the total to at least four appealing television actors who have flirted with the update of the 1985 comedy classic, Fletch. Fletch Won has been passed around like a hot potato, and I'm not even sure what script they're working off of at this point. IMDb lists a script by Pink, Eli Jorne and Charlie McDowell, but it also lists a 2007 release date -- and that ain't gonna happen. I don't know what to believe anymore!

"My name was tossed around a little bit for the role, and it's something that [I might consider]," Krasinski tells MTV Movies Blog. "[Negotiating something like this] is a give or take kind of thing. I read the script, and it is hilarious. It's just one of those things that is so terrifying, to step up and be in a role that was done so perfectly," says Krasinski, adding "I mean, Chevy Chase not only created that role, but he did it pretty damn well." I think fans should be happy with this bit of news. The original film was very important to my youth, and I've been surprisingly pleased with every potential Fletch. Krasinski is terrific on The Office, and would be a much better fit for the material than the admittedly talented Joshua Jackson. I'd be happy to see Krasinski take a crack at Fletch, especially if he can keep the "raised eyebrow looks to the camera" at a minimum. Plus, it'd be a great way for him to earn back some cool points after the sure-to-be-sucktacular License to Wed. "Robin Williams as a Zany Preacher?" The only phrase less likely to get me into the theater would be "Ned Beatty as an Exotic Dancer."

Say it ain't so Pacey? For those who thought the re-birth of the Fletch series was going to go one way (Kevin Smith, Jason Lee), and then another way (Bill Lawrence, Zach Braff), it appears it's going to go in an entirely different direction. IESB reports that Joshua Jackson (remember him?) is set to take over the role of Fletch in the long-gestating Fletch Won project, with Steve Pink signing on to direct. Pink, for those who don't know, wrote the John Cusack flicks Grosse Point Blanke and High Fidelity, and he also helmed last summer's surprise hit comedy Accepted, starring Justin Long.

Last time we checked in on Fletch Won, Zack Braff had officially declined to star (because of other projects he wanted to direct), and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs creator) was hanging on by a thread, scouting locations and searching for an adequate replacement. Since then, it seems Lawrence has dropped out and, instead of putting the kibosh on this sucker once and for good, they've decided to give it one more shot. Personally, I have more of a problem with Jackson (who's always pissed me off ever since his days rubbing elbows with Dawson and the gang) than I do with Pink. Grosse Point Blanke, High Fidelity and Accepted are three films I highly enjoyed, and I'm sure the guy would bring some laughs to the franchise. But Joshua Jackson? Pacey? Seriously? IESB says word should be made official anytime now, so everyone -- on the count of three -- sing it with me ... 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over ...

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• Svatopluk Benes (1918-2007) - Czech actor who appears in Zelary, Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea and I Killed Einstein, Gentlemen. He died April 30. (Radio Praha)
• Erica Cassetti (1971-2007) - Computer animator who worked on Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules and Tarzan and Dreamworks' Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. She also worked on the original Coca Cola polar bear commercial. She died April 21, in Chandler, Arizona. (AZ Central)
• Yanis Chimaras (1955-2007) - Venezuelan soap actor who appears in Amaneció de Golpe and El Caracazo. He was stabbed to death by a robber April 25, in Caracas. (Backstage)
• Paul Erdman (c.1933-2007) - Economist and author whose book The Silver Bears was adapted as Silver Bears (aka Fool's Gold) with Michael Caine starring. He died April 24 in Sonoma County, California. (CBS)
• David Halberstam (1934-2007) - Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author whose book The Amateurs was adapted as Rowing Through. He also appears in the Oscar-nominated documentary In the Year of the Pig. He was killed in a car crash April 23, in Menlo Park, California. (Variety)
• Kirill Lavrov (1925-2007) - Russian actor who appears in Tchaikovsky, Taming of the Fire and The Brothers Karamazov, which he co-directed. He died April 27, in St. Petersburg. (RIA Novosti)

Hey, it looks like we're finally going to get another Fletch film! In fact, I'd go ahead and make that a double -- as in, two Fletch films. You heard right -- two! Of course, this is all coming via an unconfirmed scoop sent to Coming Soon, but the scoop itself makes a whole lot of sense.

You'll remember awhile back how Kevin Smith was supposed to write and direct a new Fletch flick for the Weinstein Co. However, after Smith and the Weinstein's butted heads over who would play the classic character (Smith wanted Jason Lee and the Weinstein's wanted Zach Braff), the project ultimately disappeared off Smith's plate, something he's still pretty upset about. So, with Zach Braff playing front-runner, there were rumors Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence was getting involved, perhaps to pen a draft or plant a big fat one on Braff's cute little behind. Of course, they were only rumors ... until now. (Actually, they're still only rumors, but I really liked the way I ended that last sentence. Very mysterious. I like feeling mysterious.)

That's right, it appears Bill Lawrence will not only write, but he'll also direct ... both films. According to this "unconfirmed scoop", the title of the first film will still be Fletch Won. Hearing this news all but solidifies Zach Braff taking on the lead role, but until things are made official, we'll hold off on breaking out the party favors. Too bad, I really liked Jason Lee in the lead role. In my opinion, he would have made a much more convincing Fletch than Braff. Oh well, I guess the dude will just have to prove me wrong.

UPDATE: The Hollywood Reporter is confirming this to be true. While they say Bill Lawrence has signed on to write and direct Fletch Won, they do not mention a second film. As expected, Zach Braff is Lawrence's first choice for Fletch.