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What Men Want Trailer: Taraji P. Henson Hears Shaq's Thoughts
Paramount has released the first trailer for What Men Want, a gender-flipped remake of 2000's What Women Want starring Taraji P. Henson (Empire, Hidden Figures) and Tracy Morgan (30 Rock, SNL).
Henson plays Ali, a sports agent who struggles to get ahead in her male-dominated field, but gains the upper hand when she develops the power to hear men's thoughts. With her new ability, Ali works to represent a promising new NBA talent while also handling his combative and controlling father, Joe Dolla (Morgan). What Men Want is produced by Will Packer (Girl's Trip), directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), and also stars Jason Jones, Max Greenfield, Pete Davison, and Aldis Hodge.
As we see in the trailer, Ali develops her mind-reading powers through a mix of the supernatural and the slapstick: first drinking a strange brew from a mysterious "wise" woman (Erykah Badu), followed by knocking herself unconscious while out partying with her friends - played by Tamala Jones (Castle), Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs, Bridesmaids), Phoebe Robinson (2 Dope Queens). What Men Want also stars Josh Brener (Silicon Valley) as Ali's assistant, Brandon, who is the only person who knows about Ali's newfound ability.
Nancy Meyer's What Women Want is romantic comedy in where Mel Gibson's character comes to better understand women through the ability to hear their thoughts, leading him to deepen his relationship with his daughter and develop a romantic one with his co-worker (played by Helen Hunt). What Men Want borrows that general premise but leans more heavily on the comedy over the romance (though there will be a romantic subplot), mining Ali's winning-at-all-costs attitude and the men who underestimate her for laughs. Like last year's Girl's Trip, What Men Want is a comedy starring women that includes romance, but it's far from what anyone would call a "rom-com."
What Men Want is also a bit of a sports movie, including several cameos from famous athletes (Mark Cuban, Grant Hill, and Shaq are a few who show up in the trailer). Former NFL Seatle Seahawks linebacker, Brian Bosworth even plays Ali's boss, Nick, the head of their sports talent agency. Along with the cameos, What Men Want had a partnership with the NBA, and they worked together to ensure the film accurately portrays the draft process, even allowing What Men Want to film at this year's NBA draft. The basketball team that features most prominently in the film is the Atlanta Hawks.
Stay tuned to Screen Rant for more from our What Men Want set visit! What Men Want releases nationwide January 11th, 2019.
