Who doesn’t love June Squibb? The 94-year-old Nebraska star is sorta having a moment right now, with her new action-comedy…that’s right, action-comedy Thelma a beloved hit at Sundance. She also has a role coming up in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut. Why would anyone cast her just so she could die? Well, she has the misfortune of being the titular doomed babysitter in BET+’s upcoming remake of Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.
Based on the classic 1991 comedy, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead finds Simone Joy Jones in the role made famous by Christina Applegate. Also in the cast are Nicole Richie, Donielle Tremaine Hensley, Jermaine Fowler and Ms. Pat with newcomers Miles Fowler, Iantha Richardson, Gus Kenworthy, and Tyriq Withers.
Plus June Squibb, of course, and in the new teaser we see her as the elderly babysitter encountering Jones’ Tanya Crandell for the first time.
Here’s the synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Tanya Crandell (Simone Joy Jones) can’t wait to spend the summer living it up with her friends in Spain before heading to Howard University in the fall. But when her mom (Ms. Pat) decides to head to a much-needed wellness retreat in Thailand, Tanya is forced to stay home with her three siblings instead. Following the unexpected death of their elderly babysitter (June Squibb), Tanya gets a job working for the confident and ambitious Rose (Nicole Richie). Juggling work, family, and a complicated romance, Tanya faces the responsibility of adulthood at the cost of her summer of freedom.
The R-rated comedy is written by Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso, WandaVision, Dear White People) and directed by Wade Allain-Marcus.
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead opens in theaters on April 12th courtesy of Iconic Events Releasing.