News of a Welcome Back, Kotter remake first made waves back in March of 2006. Tom Grady was tapped to write and direct, and Ice Cube was cast to take over the role that Gabe Kaplan made famous -- Mr. Kotter, the man who went back to his high school alma mater to teach some challenging remedial students. Kotter also happened to be the show that helped make John Travolta (Vinnie Barbarino) famous -- before Saturday Night Fever or Grease came around. Although it has been a few years since the project started to cook up, Ice Cube recently talked with MTV about the pic, and what is planned for this new version... that is, if the strike wraps up and this feature gets out of development hell.

This remake will go urban, and Cube says: "We've got the same characters, they're just re-vamped to suit the times, totally different. It's like, flipped. With me playing Kotter, how couldn't it be?" This also means none of Kaplan's schtick: "No, I won't be going that far. You know me, I'm gonna flip it. It ain't gonna be no Gabe Kaplan sh-t." What will be the same? Who knows. He also says there's no Barbarino dance, or Epstein's phony letters. "The names are the same" seems to be Cube's mantra for this picture.

Considering the fact that he says it's "more of a Fast Times at Ridgemont High, not so much 'Up your nose with a rubber hose,'" I have to ask: what's the point? WHY keep the names if you're taking all of the things that make each character who they are and change them. I'm sorry, but people don't go see remakes just for the same names. I can't help but wonder why they couldn't use new names, maybe consider it a spin-off, or just giving a "based on" credit. Trying to bank on the fandom of a show doesn't work if you start off by saying that the only thing that remains the same is the basic premise and a handful of names.

Ok, I'm a huge hypocrite. Every time a remake shows up in the news, I get angry and depressed, and you guys have to listen to it. But now I read about a movie version of Welcome Back, Kotter (Which is sort of a remake, right? It, too, finds an established story and cast and decides that it just wasn't good enough the first time around.), and I find myself giggling with glee. Why the excitement, you ask? Well, apart from the fact that I'm sort of a sucker for anything cultural that reminds me of being a kid (Yes, including parachute pants.), the revelation that ICE CUBE IS GOING TO PLAY MR. KOTTER is more than enough to make my day.

Apart from Cube's mere presence, there are a few other details about the project that suggest it might not suck. First of all, he loves the show, which hopefully means he'll be eager to do it justice. Additionally, since the rights are held in part by Gabe Kaplan (aka Mr. Kotter himself) who has long-resisted a movie version of the show, the fact that he's OKed this project suggests that he's pleased with the approach (either that or The Weinsteins broke the bank to get him on board). The only major flaw so far is that Tom Brady (the guy who wrote and directed The Hot Chick, not the quarterback) is both penning the script and directing the film, but I'm choosing to ignore that troubling news and assuming instead that the movie is going to be a little bit of brilliance. Assuming, of course, that Rob Schneider doesn't show up in any capacity.