“Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead” gets new life in first trailer for reboot (exclusive)

Nicole Richie and her jewel-toned blazers take on the legacy of Rose Lindsey.

Reboots are a tricky business, but with cult classics, you tend to have a bit more room. After all, a film that was ignored or maligned when it first premiered only to grow beloved over time (and through endless memes) bodes well for any followers. Time forgives most sins.

When Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead opened in 1991, it was a minor box office hit savaged by critics, but today, it's meme gold.

Some 30-plus years after the original, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is getting the reboot treatment, this time centering on a Black family led by a matriarch (played by comedian Ms. Pat). When mom has a nervous breakdown at work and goes to Thailand for a meditation retreat, Tanya Crandell (Simone Joy Jones) and her siblings find themselves in the care of a babysitter, the stern and elderly Mrs. Sturak (Oscar nominee June Squibb).

Spoiler alert, Mrs. Sturak dies and the Crandell kids don't want to tell mom. Cue the hijinks! In order to support her siblings, Tanya fakes her way into a fancy fashion job, working under the high-strung Rose Lindsey, played by a scene-stealing Nicole Richie in a series of statement blazers.

"I’ve been a Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead fan since day one; having the opportunity to play Rose is a dream come true," Richie tells Entertainment Weekly.

For Jones, playing Tanya was "exhilarating and freeing," as she got to tap into "the most awkward and vulnerable parts of myself." She adds, "What an honor to play someone who cares so deeply and is so driven by her own goals and family triumph. I can’t wait for everyone to see it in theaters!”

Director Wade Allain-Marcus is thrilled not only to bring Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead to "a whole new audience but to reintroduce it to fans of the original" as well.

"Centering this story around this family was a no-brainer," Allain-Marcus says. "Don't Tell Mom has always been about becoming an adult before your time, and we know that's true for all Black kids. Everyone involved in the film brought their A game — come for the laughs, stay for the heart, the vibe and the music.”

Check out the trailer for Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, opening April 12.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.