From Paramount Pictures, we have our first look at What Men Want, a comedy starring Taraji P. Henson. If the title sounds familiar, it’s because the film shares its premise with What Women Want, a 2000 romantic comedy starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. This film gender-swaps the main role and finds Henson, a successful executive recently passed over for promotion in male-dominated industry, suddenly able to hear the inner-most thoughts of all the men around her. As one might imagine, the majority of what she hears is rude and offensive. Hilarious.
What Men Want comes from director Adam Shankman whose resume ranges from cute to forgettable, and sometimes a mixture of both with entries including A Walk to Remember, Hairspray, Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and Rock of Ages. This first trailer promises something light-hearted and fun, something Shankman can likely deliver especially given that Henson’s comedic chops appear to be in top form, with humorous reactions and responses to the silliness around her.
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The official synopsis for What Men Want from Paramount Pictures is below:
Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is a successful sports agent who’s constantly boxed out by her male colleagues. When Ali is passed up for a well-deserved promotion, she questions what else she needs to do to succeed in a man’s world… until she gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts! With her newfound power, Ali looks to outsmart her colleagues as she races to sign the next basketball superstar, but the lengths she has to go to will put her relationship with her best friends and a potential new love interest (Aldis Hodge) to the test. What Men Want is the latest comedy from director Adam Shankman (Hairspray) and producers Will Packer and James Lopez (Girls Trip), co-starring Tracy Morgan, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Josh Brener, Tamala Jones, Phoebe Robinson, Max Greenfield, Jason Jones, Brian Bosworth, Chris Witaske and Erykah Badu.