‘All-Star Weekend’: Is Robert Downey Jr.’s Mexican Character Holding Up The Release Of Jamie Foxx’s Basketball Comedy?

As the NBA approaches another season, big questions linger. Will the Golden State Warriors repeat as champions? Will LeBron James surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in career points? Will Jamie Foxx‘s basketball comedy “All-Star Weekend” ever get released? 

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Initially scheduled for a February 16, 2018 release to coincide with that year’s NBA All-Star Game, “All-Star Weekend” has yet to make it into theaters. In fact, despite a major ensemble cast, the film remains shelved despite completing production. So, what’s the reason, and will the film ever reach audiences? In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, Foxx provided a brief, cryptic answer to the mystery.

“Man, it’s been tough, with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy, man,” Foxx told CinemaBlend. “We’re trying to break open those sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again.” No word on what exactly “those sensitive corners” are in “All-Star Weekend,” but it may have something to do with Robert Downey Jr.’s role in the film. Much like his performance in 2008’s “Tropic Thunder,” where he donned black-face, Downey Jr. plays a Mexican in the unreleased movie. Downey Jr. received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor as method actor Kirk Lazarus in “Thunder,” but still received a ton of heat for the role.  

So, perhaps studio execs are afraid Foxx and Downey Jr. take things too far with the racial comedy element in “All-Star Weekend.” Foxx talked about the film and Downey Jr.’s role in it back in 2017 during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. “We all play different characters,” he said on the podcast. “I play a white, racist cop. I’ll show it to you. I’ll grab the thing and show it to you. Robert Downey Jr. plays a Mexican. I called Robert and I said, ‘Listen, I need you to play a Mexican.’ He said, ‘Dude, here’s the deal. Sure. F*ck it. Sure. Why not? F*ck it. Sure. Of course. Mexican. Whatever.'” Downey Jr. did express reservations to Foxx about his role later on, though, as Foxx said that he got a text from Downey Jr. saying, “I’m afraid to play the Mexican.”

It remains unclear how significant Downey Jr.’s role in “All-Star Weekend” is. The film stars Foxx and Jeremy Piven as two tow-truck drivers obsessed with the NBA who win tickets to the All-Star Game and meet a mysterious woman, played by Eva Longoria, on the way to the weekend’s celebrations. Dangerous life-and-death situations ensue. “All-Star Weekend” also stars Jessica Szohr, Ken Jeong, Gerard Butler, and Benicio del Toro. Rap stars DJ Khaled, French Montana, The Game, and Snoop Dogg also have cameo roles. Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. also makes an appearance.

So, will “All-Star Weekend” ever see the light of day so audiences may see what all the fuss is about? It doesn’t look likely, as the film had projected releases in 2019 and 2021, but at this point, it’s indefinitely shelved. Foxx keeps up high hopes for an eventual release, though, telling CinemaBlend that test audiences loved the film. “The one thing we kept hearing in the screenings was how much people were laughing,” he said. “So, hopefully, we’ll keep them laughing and run them into “All-Star Weekend,” because we were definitely going for it.”

So, maybe “All-Star Weekend” coincides with NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City next February? Never say never.