John Cleese has confirmed that the reboot of classic sitcom Fawlty Towers has been delayed after the tragic murder of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner. The reboot was set to feature Cleese's real daughter Camilla as the owner of a luxury Caribbean hotel, following on from the original comedy starring Cleese and Prunella Scales.
Reboot derailed by tragedy
The reboot has been derailed after Reiner was killed alongside his wife Michele. The couple, aged 78 and 70 respectively, were stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home, with their son Nick charged with the killings, though he has pleaded not guilty.
It was Reiner's production company Castle Rock Entertainment which was set to make the Fawlty Towers reboot, Cleese explained.
Cleese breaks silence
He told the Toronto Star: "It's a slightly sad story, because it was for Rob Reiner's company, so everything's gone a little bit quiet."
"They liked the first draft. They've given us notes. They liked the rewrites. But that's as far as it's gone at the moment."
Reiner himself was aware of the project, saying in 2023: "John Cleese is a comedy legend. Just the idea of working with him makes me laugh."
Castle Rock's involvement
Castle Rock president Matthew George said: "Meeting John and Camilla was one of the great thrills of my life. I'm obsessed with Fawlty Towers and the legendary characters he created."
"I've watched the first two seasons so many times I have lost count. I dreamed of one day being involved in a continuation of the story. Now it's come true."
The new series was set to start with the news that Sybil Fawlty had died, but a typo in the text message alerting Camilla's character would have caused hilarity despite the tragic topic.
