Steven Spielberg wants Will Smith for OLDBOY remake

[GreenScar]

Variety is reporting Spielberg wants to team up with Smith:

Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are in early discussions to collaborate on a remake of Chan Wook-park's "Oldboy." DreamWorks is in the process of securing the remake rights, and the new pic will be distributed by Universal.

In the 2003 Korean original, a man gets kidnapped and held in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. Suddenly, he's released and given money, a cell phone and clothes and is set on a path to discover who destroyed his life so he can take revenge.

Spielberg had been looking for an opportunity to make a film with Smith, who would play the kidnapped man if all the pieces fall into place. Spielberg is looking for a writer to begin the development process.

[Uuah]

Spielberg can't handle that kind of gritty pathos

[WyldeMan45]

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!

Oldboy was an incredible film, and there is absolutely no way in hell, that Will Smith could ever be that gritty or insane. He is quite possibly the worst choice there is for that role. Please leave Oldboy alone, there is nothing wrong whatsoever with the Korean version!

[(Fe)Man]

Spielberg is in WAY over his head with this film. I will not have any part in watching this film.

[DC_Street]

release Jurassic Park onto Blu-Ray first and then do w/e you want Spielberg!

[GreenScar]

To say Spielberg can't do something is...mmmm...an interesting statement.

[Rob71]

WTF!? Wonder if they'll keep the Mi-do plotline. Who am I kidding, of course they won't. Hollywood doesn't mind stealing good Asian films, They just don't have the balls to use what makes them good. This'll be a watered down action movie with Will Smith reprising his MIB/ID4 role yet again.:

[Psychonaut]

Horrible news and I hope this doesn't see the light of day.

[plowmanjoe]

this is crazy. one of the best movies of all time should not be remade. stick with remaking horror films from asia.

[assydingo]

Originally Posted by (Fe)Man

Spielberg is in WAY over his head with this film. I will not have any part in watching this film.

Or just watch it to see what they do...

Still think it's an awful move.

[Jayromy]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

To say Spielberg can't do something is...mmmm...an interesting statement.

I agree that it is probably premature to say that Speilberg can't do something, as he has tackled so many genres successfully. It might be more acceptable to say that he shouldn't do something. And man, he shouldn't remake Oldboy. I'm a big fan of Speilberg, and I get what he's thinking--remake a great foreign film to bring it to the American mainstream a la Infernal Affairs/The Departed--but he and Will Smith are not right for it. I don't know of a mainstream Hollywood director with the gritty sensibilities for a remake like this.

Maybe Fincher (IMO).

Do we know that Speilberg wants to direct? Or is he just looking to EP?

[BluCrew]

I also don't agree that Spielberg should remake this movie. I don't think he'll "go as far" as the original and it would be a PG-13, generic version of the original. And why Will Smith? There are plenty of great Asian, male lead actors out there.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by Jayromy

I agree that it is probably premature to say that Speilberg can't do something, as he has tackled so many genres successfully. It might be more acceptable to say that he shouldn't do something. And man, he shouldn't remake Oldboy. I'm a big fan of Speilberg, and I get what he's thinking--remake a great foreign film to bring it to the American mainstream a la Infernal Affairs/The Departed--but he and Will Smith are not right for it. I don't know of a mainstream Hollywood director with the gritty sensibilities for a remake like this.

Maybe Fincher (IMO).

Do we know that Speilberg wants to direct? Or is he just looking to EP?

I flat out do not want them to touch this, because they will have to cut out so much from the original to get it aired here. But Spielberg is definitely out of his element on this, it's not so much that he can't do this, it's just not what he does. He doesn't do grit, insane films, he does Jaws, and ET those classic films, but they they are't gritty as much as I love them, they are just so different from Oldboy. But if this absolutely has to be remade for America, than I think you nailed it with Fincher, he is the only true grit director that could really pull this off. Though I know Tarantino is a huge fan of Oldboy, so I wonder if he might try to get involved in this down the road as well.

[DeeChizzle]

Bottomline is that a great international films like Oldboy only have moderate to little success here in the U.S. and most of it is from cult followings. This is just another way of capitalizing on a good story and rehashing it for American audiences. Face it, Americans are attracted to big budget directors and actors. Business wise this is a very smart move but for fans of the film this is a disaster.

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by DeeChizzle

Bottomline is that a great international films like Oldboy only have moderate to little success here in the U.S. and most of it is from cult followings. This is just another way of capitalizing on a good story and rehashing it for American audiences. Face it, Americans are attracted to big budget directors and actors. Business wise this is a very smart move but for fans of the film this is a disaster.

SPOILER:








For people that have seen the original, how many of you believe that Will Smith would actually cut his own tongue out, and bang his daughter?

[GreenScar]

I have to agree with others. If this get's made here, the only thing it'll have in common will probably be the being locked up and the revenge theme. It would be nice to see Spielberg get more gritty than Minority Report.

[GreenScar]

Interesting commentary over at slashfilm:

While Will Smith is not in the list of actors I would like to see star in American-language remake, I can see why Spielberg might want him for this film. I feel that the originally film is as good as it is because of the intense cinematography, and Speilberg also wouldn’t be on my list of American directors to helm such a remake. Maybe Aronofsky, Fincher or Chris Nolan. But for the record, neither would Justin Lin (that guy has done nothing but disappoint me, since he made a name for himself with Better Luck Tomorrow). That said, this is a much more interesting project than The Trial of the Chicago 7.

And before everyone starts leaving angry comments about how this film shouldn’t be produced… know this:

Hollywood is going to remake Oldboy NO MATTER WHAT.

The question is would you rather someone like Justin Line of Tokyo Drift fame helm the adaptation with someone of the likes of Vin Diesel attached to star, or the biggest director in American cinema history and Will Smith attached to star?

[WyldeMan45]

Originally Posted by jasonbird

Interesting commentary over at slashfilm:

While Will Smith is not in the list of actors I would like to see star in American-language remake, I can see why Spielberg might want him for this film. I feel that the originally film is as good as it is because of the intense cinematography, and Speilberg also wouldn’t be on my list of American directors to helm such a remake. Maybe Aronofsky, Fincher or Chris Nolan. But for the record, neither would Justin Lin (that guy has done nothing but disappoint me, since he made a name for himself with Better Luck Tomorrow). That said, this is a much more interesting project than The Trial of the Chicago 7.

And before everyone starts leaving angry comments about how this film shouldn’t be produced… know this:

Hollywood is going to remake Oldboy NO MATTER WHAT.

The question is would you rather someone like Justin Line of Tokyo Drift fame helm the adaptation with someone of the likes of Vin Diesel attached to star, or the biggest director in American cinema history and Will Smith attached to star?

But of all the actors Will Smith? So you know they will cut the gore, make it a summer blockbuster and give it a PG-13 rating. And it will be white guys who locked Will up. If they have to make this than why not get an actor who is known for grit and crazy roles like Ben Kingsley? I could definitely see him doing all that crazy sh*t Oldboy did.

[Jimbo976]

A remake of a film made only a few years ago? Sounds like a sure loser to me.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Jayromy

I agree that it is probably premature to say that Speilberg can't do something, as he has tackled so many genres successfully. It might be more acceptable to say that he shouldn't do something. And man, he shouldn't remake Oldboy. I'm a big fan of Speilberg, and I get what he's thinking--remake a great foreign film to bring it to the American mainstream a la Infernal Affairs/The Departed--but he and Will Smith are not right for it. I don't know of a mainstream Hollywood director with the gritty sensibilities for a remake like this.

Maybe Fincher (IMO).

Do we know that Speilberg wants to direct? Or is he just looking to EP?

What's so "gritty" about Oldboy that's beyond - say - oh I don't know - the hardcore violence in Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and Munich?

Spielberg has such a wide and various body of work, it amazes me that people still think of him as Walt Disney Jr. -- What does he have to do? Shoot some snuff porn?

When Spielberg started shooting Schindler's List, everyone rolled their eyes and said the movie was beyond his "innocent" sensibilities. He then wound up delivering one of the great achievements in American cinema. I think all of you who are so quick to judge need to take a deep breath, sit back, and see what happens.