Classic family comedy Cheaper by the Dozen is being rebooted

Virgin Radio

8 Feb 2022, 10:36

A new version of the much-loved Steve Martin film is being made, featuring Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union.

The film, which will launch on streaming platform Disney+ in March, is actually the fifth version of Cheaper by the Dozen, which was originally released back in 1950, having been based upon the autobiographical book of the same name by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. 

The 1950 film spawned a sequel, Belles on their Toes, two years later, before Steve Martin’s iconic outing five decades on in 2003. Martin’s Cheaper by the Dozen also enjoyed a sequel. 

Now, the 2022 reboot will be directed by Gail Lerner, who has previously written and directed for TV shows such as Ugly Betty, Grace and Frankie, and Will & Grace. The narrative will focus on a blending family, the Bakers, as they try to manage their family business at the same time as navigating a hectic home life.

As well as being in the popular sitcom Scrubs, Zach Braff also starred alongside Natalie Portman in 2004 movie Garden State. Meanwhile, Gabrielle Union appeared in teen movies such as Bring It On, as well as films such as Bad Boys II and Cadillac Records. She is an outspoken advocate for issues involving women's health, and was included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.

As the trailer for the new film shows, we can expect some family fun in Cheaper by the Dozen, as Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union’s characters deal with the everyday trials and tribulations of having a whole lot of children.

You may have spotted in the trailer that the parents in the 2022 version of Cheaper by the Dozen seem to have ten kids. This marks a slight difference to previous movies, in which, as the title suggests, there are 12 children. Also different in the reboot is the fact that the two parents have children from their previous marriages, whereas in the other Cheaper by the Dozen films, the couple had all 12 children together. Other than these slight differences though, there isn’t too much information about how close to the previous stories this new offering will be. 

What we do know is that, starring alongside the movie’s two leads, will be Erika Christensen, Timon Kyle Durrett, Journee Brown, Kylie Rogers, Andre Robinson, Caylee Blosenski, Aryan Simhadri, Leo Abelo Perry, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Luke Prael and, Christian and Sebastian Cote.

Cheaper by the Dozen will debut exclusively on Disney+ on March 18th 2022.