Scott Mann Remaking ‘Seven Samurai’

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Slashfilm

Scott Mann Will Direct the ‘Seven Samurai’ Remake, Moving the Action to Modern Thailand

I’m not going to say that remaking a stone-cold classic like Akira Kurosawa‘s Seven Samurai is a fool’s errand. After all, some guy named Sergio Leone remake another Kurosawa classic, Yojimbo, and produced a classic of his own, A Fistful of Dollars, in doing so. Still, does it seem like a good idea? Not so much. The Weinstein Company has been mulling over a Seven Samurai remake for some time, and now the company has set a director: Scott Mann, who last directed the action/fight film The Tournament.
Variety says that the action will be shifted around a bit,

John Fusco has been working on the script, and Scott Mann will join him in pulling together a draft over the next few months, with an eye to shooting the film later this year.

And, for the love of movies, if you haven’t seen the original film, by all means do so. It is a wonderful movie in nearly every respect — there aren’t many pictures that get closer to being perfect. So much of what we think of as the action movie template was defined in Seven Samurai. There is a good Criterion blu-ray, the film is streaming on Netflix, and on Hulu Plus.

I’m not inspired yet. The simple substitution of paramilitary contractors for samurai seems to miss the point entirely. There is a complexity to the samurai’s relationship to other social classes in feudal Japan — something very much addressed by the original film — that isn’t part of being a paramilitary contractor at all. But I’m so inured to the development of classic remakes that I figure, worst case scenario, I can just ignore this new Seven Samurai in the same way I’ve passed over other unworthy remakes.

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As long as it's not just an action movie, it could be interesting...

[Kryptonic]

Certainly not the first time...

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Certainly not the first time...

And most certainly not the last. But I'm just sick of the remakes to be honest.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Certainly not the first time...

Indeed not...

[Crimson King]

Don't forget The Magnificant Seven was a remake of Seven Samurai.

Both are very good films IMO.

[Clark Kent]

Another great film is about to be butchered by Hollywood.

[octagon]

If Battle Beyond the Stars couldn't hurt it nothing will.

[OrlandoEastwood]

This was announced back in like 2007. I'm surprised that it's all news to you guys.

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by OrlandoEastwood

This was announced back in like 2007. I'm surprised that it's all news to you guys.

It's news now because it's actually moving forward and at the time it wasn't...

[s2mikey]

I wondered when we would start to see some remakes of films that are considered classics. lets be fair though - the film might end up good and if it generates a larger audience than the original and more poeple enjoy it, how can that be viewed as "bad"?

Still, it seems there should be some untouchable films that you just cant remake. Seven Samurai may or may not be one of them. Its popular amongst film critics and serious movie-goers but most regular folks have either never heard of it or dont care one way or the other.

[Al_The_Strange]

If somebody like Tarantino, Spielburg, Nolan, Peter Jackson, heck maybe even Zack Snyder, or myriads of other strong directors tackled this, I might be thrilled. But coming from the maker of "Tournament," an average action flick at best, meh...

[Evra]

Wasn't The Expendables....?

[Spiderbri]

As a fan of Seven Samurai, I can recommend the anime Samurai Seven, it has some really great moments, and I think it is a remake/reimagining with a love of the source material. but thats just me.

Thing is with what they are saying plus the movies you guys are referencing they aren't remakes. they are just inspired by. I mean the magnificant seven isn't a remake really. A remake would be doing it in the same place/time/names just updated or altered in supposedly minor ways. Like the Spider-man movie is a remake of Spidey. cause it kept names and main plot points just changed relationships and organic webbing etc.

[broganreynik]

Originally Posted by Spiderbri

As a fan of Seven Samurai, I can recommend the anime Samurai Seven, it has some really great moments, and I think it is a remake/reimagining with a love of the source material. but thats just me.

Thing is with what they are saying plus the movies you guys are referencing they aren't remakes. they are just inspired by. I mean the magnificant seven isn't a remake really. A remake would be doing it in the same place/time/names just updated or altered in supposedly minor ways. Like the Spider-man movie is a remake of Spidey. cause it kept names and main plot points just changed relationships and organic webbing etc.

By those requirements, "Let Me In" isn't a remake of "Let the Right One In".

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by Spiderbri

As a fan of Seven Samurai, I can recommend the anime Samurai Seven, it has some really great moments, and I think it is a remake/reimagining with a love of the source material. but thats just me.

Thing is with what they are saying plus the movies you guys are referencing they aren't remakes. they are just inspired by. I mean the magnificant seven isn't a remake really. A remake would be doing it in the same place/time/names just updated or altered in supposedly minor ways. Like the Spider-man movie is a remake of Spidey. cause it kept names and main plot points just changed relationships and organic webbing etc.

I don't agree with that at all. There are remakes of American movies set over in Japan, China, Korea, Russia, Europe, etc. and vice-versa. Just because it doesn't take place in the same time and place doesn't make something not a remake.

[EricJ]

It centers on a town in Northern Thailand that recruits seven paramilitary contractors from around the globe to defend it from an imminent attack.
John Fusco has been working on the script, and Scott Mann will join him in pulling together a draft over the next few months, with an eye to shooting the film later this year.

...IOW, it's a shallowly thought-out American attempt to make artificial Ong-Bak sequels?

(There: That sounds more realistic and less contentious than "remake".)

[Dragon Lee]

werent George Clooney and Donnie Yen mentioned as potential players at one point?

[Taipan]

That is one film that should be left alone.

However, if everyone took the new film seriously, and approached it with the passion that has been given films like LOTR, then I'm all for it.

[animefan77]

Originally Posted by Spiderbri

As a fan of Seven Samurai, I can recommend the anime Samurai Seven, it has some really great moments, and I think it is a remake/reimagining with a love of the source material. but thats just me.

As a person who consider Seven Samurai as one of the best movie ever made, and also as an anime fan - I didn't like the anime series of Samurai Seven at all. I really tried to like it, and even bought all the expensive collector's set when it was released on DVD. But I couldn't help comparing it to the original and it never reached my expectation. And that's what I'm afraid its going to happen with this remake. Even if they make a decent remake, I'm just going to compare it to original and ruin it. Plus, I don't have the confidence in the director or writers to really expect any better.

[Dotpattern]

Originally Posted by Taipan

That is one film that should be left alone.

So should we destroy all copies of The Magnificent Seven?