Malcolm X director Spike Lee has officially signed on to helm the English language remake of South Korean thriller Oldboy.
The confirmation that Lee will direct comes on the back of the announcement that the director is currently filming Do The Right Thing sequel Red Hook Summer.
“It’s a great honour to put this special project into the hands of such a gifted writer and iconic director,” says Oldboy executive producer Nathan Kahane.
The original 2003 Oldboy was directed by Chan-wook Park, and followed a man who's imprisoned for 15 years. When he's inexplicably released, he must find out the reason for his incarceration.
Will Smith has long been associated with the remake, though a lead man has yet to be officially cast in the remake.
Still, with Lee at the helm, our interest in the film has tripled. It’ll be interesting to see if he can make his Oldboy into more than just another remake.
Think Lee's perfect for the job? Or wish Steven Spielberg was still involved? Chuck us your comments below...
Comments
English47
Jul 12th 2011, 11:54
I already feel skeptical about this. I'm not going to judge until I've seen something, but I can't help seem a bit confused. Why are we remaking foreign film trilogies that have recently released into American film trilogies... what's the point? Fincher now Spike? And a sequel to Do The Right Thing? What... 22 years later? (You don't have to answer - I know, subtitles and cash... but really America?) I guess it couldn't be too bad since Spike is acting and directing, but the idea that a character has aged that much - I don't know, it seems as though one Do The Right Thing was good enough.
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dupont
Jul 12th 2011, 12:57
Michael Vick to play lead.
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dupont
Jul 12th 2011, 12:57
Michael Vick to play lead.
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trist808
Jul 12th 2011, 13:09
Interesting choice for director but still, OldBoy is an absolutely amazing film and I feel it's going to be ruined by Lee and his American sensbilities. A lot of the subtext in OldBoy just won't work, it's a totally different culture ... I bet they CGI the bloody squid too ... what Western actor is going to go total method and eat one live??
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BruceShark
Jul 12th 2011, 17:26
Here we go again on the remake merry-go-round. Can't be to p****d, it was obviously going to happen one day. Even though I don't wanna see this the choice of Spike Lee is quite unsual for the material. But whatever, won't be watching it anyway. And there is no chance in the hell that they'll keep the twist in it. Not for an American audience.
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Gav83
Jul 12th 2011, 23:34
So. So. So. Sick of remakes. The need for Hollywood to latch on to an established name or franchise it gone far beyond a joke. Where will it end? Fast and Furious 10: even more faster and furious'er... Saw 17: Jigsaw vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Battleship!... for crying out loud.
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ShosannaD
Jul 13th 2011, 0:20
In my opinion they should just leave it alone. Oldboy is so incredible and the American remake will fail to capture the raw energy no matter who directs and no matter who stars in it. Min-sik Choi is such a bad-a*s and I don't think any American actor can live up to the standard that he set. I really wish more Americans would go out and find foreign films rather than Hollywood getting the rights to them, taking them apart, and taking out what makes them so great in the first place. I really hope Will Smith is not chosen to play the character that will be Oh Dae-su because despite I am Legend and Seven Pounds he is still too family friendly.
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durden
Jul 13th 2011, 9:27
if this isn't a sign for some kind of coming apocalypse, i don't know what is...i mean,seriously,spike lee?!!?? :|
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Rytrospyk
Jul 13th 2011, 11:11
I don't think it will ruin it because the original is fantastic and it's not going to ever take away from that. Although I do think this will be terrible, not a fan of Spike Lee.
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Ali1748
Jul 13th 2011, 16:39
Sigh.....
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murphy
Jul 15th 2011, 10:49
aarrrgggghhhh!!!!! hollywood get a f*****g grip and stop remaking great films and instead try and come up with some new material oldboy is perfect as it is but you feel the need to make a new version for f*****g dumb americans who can't be arsed to read subtitles,and the idea of will smith as the lead is just so f*****g wrong!
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trist808
Jul 15th 2011, 11:40
That's the only reason why they're doing it, because Americans can't read! Or to be more diplomatic in case any Yanks are on here, they don't like subtitles, it means they have to, like, concentrate, when you know they're like watching mooo-veess, OMG, reading? You mean like during the movie? like whateva ...
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maddi
Aug 13th 2011, 17:46
Unbelievable! I am (ashamed to say) from America and am disgusted- but not surprised- at all of these re-makes of wonderful foreign films. A re-make of "Old Boy" by Spike Lee and possibly starring Pratt of the Century Will Freaking Smith?!!!? This has to be a joke! They took a beautiful, haunting piece of brilliant film making that was "Let the Right One In" and made a pointless and terrible re-make. Now god knows WTF they're going to do to "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". But to make "Old Boy" for the idiots of America is just laughable! They'd have to change so much of the story it'd be ridiculous! They couldn't handle any of the original material! I mean Will Bloody Smith? Cop on to yourselves Hollywood for f***s sake!
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