'Ice Station Zebra' Remake - Christopher McQuarrie

[Walts Ghost]

Christopher McQuarrie to Write and Direct ICE STATION ZEBRA Remake

Hot on the heels of the news that Tom Cruise has officially signed on to return in Mission: Impossible 5, a new report has writer-director Christopher McQuarrie attached to a remake of the 1968 thriller Ice Station Zebra. This project will obviously impact the decision of who will direct M:I5 as McQuarrie is in talks to helm the follow-up to Brad Bird’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. No timetable is in place for either film yet so it’s feasible that McQuarrie would be able to line up both pictures. However, McQuarrie will not only direct the Ice Station Zebra remake – a story about an American sub racing against the Russians in order to make it to a secret base in the Arctic circle – but will also pen the adaptation, based on the Alistair MacLean novel. It’s too soon to tell how this will all shake out. Hit the jump for more.

Heat Vision reports that McQuarrie will write and direct the remake of Ice Station Zebra. The original starred Rock Hudson as sub Commander James Ferraday, along with Ernest Borgnine, Patrick McGoohan and Jim Brown in supporting roles. The sub crew is tasked with taking an international cast of characters to the Arctic weather station in order to rescue the crew stationed there. Over the course of the film, the sailors soon realize that their mission is not exactly what it seems and that there is a traitor on board who will stop at nothing to prevent them from beating the Russians to their objective.

There is no word as to whether or not this is the case, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Cruise in Hudson’s role in the remake. The actor and director have worked well together in Jack Reacher and will possibly reunite for M:I5, so I wouldn’t be too surprised to see them collaborate on this particular film. To my knowledge, Cruise has yet to appear in a submarine movie so this could be his big chance!

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[Trekkie313]

I question how they are going to approach the remake, if they just re-adapt the novel with more realism it seems pointless. Maybe they'll change it to have Chinese or Koreans as the antagonists instead of Russians. Didn't work well for Red Dawn or that video game everyone jhas forgotten.

Looks like a lose-lose to me, but its too early to tell.

[cinemaphile]

I like McQuarrie's original works better. Usual Suspects was great, and Way of the Gun (which he also directed) is one of the most underrated films out there. So while I'm happy to see him working, I lament the fact that he's now just a writer/director for hire, doing remakes, book adaptations, and sequels.

Still, I'm, sure I'll see it because I do like everything he's done so far - just some more than others.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

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There is no word as to whether or not this is the case, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Cruise in Hudson’s role in the remake. The actor and director have worked well together in Jack Reacher and will possibly reunite for M:I5, so I wouldn’t be too surprised to see them collaborate on this particular film. To my knowledge, Cruise has yet to appear in a submarine movie so this could be his big chance!

I really enjoyed JACK REACHER (buying it later today) so I wouldn't be opposed to them putting Cruise in the title role here, (as they obviously enjoyed working together on "Reacher" & if McQuarrie is signed on already to direct MI:5), then it kind of makes sense for them to do this also


But, even if it's a Newer U.S. Sub, does it present Tom with enough room to do his signature Running like Hell in every other movie he makes?

Tom Loves To Run - YouTube

[cinemaphile]

McQuarrie also wrote Valkyrie and the upcoming Tom Cruise movie All You Need Is Kill

(he was also supposed to be writing Top Gun 2, but that project is likely dead now)

[HotRats]

There's no chance China will be the villain, film companies are now too scared of offending the government and having their film banned from that country. Which is why Red Dawn was altered and even World War Z has been tweaked. This leaves films in desparate need of a global superpower villain, North Korea is simply ludicrous as one and Russia seems to be run by ganster capitalists who simply turn up with a sack of stolen cash to get what they want.

A remake could be worthwhile as the original is rather slow and dull apart from McGoohan and there's a lot of good stuff in the book that wasn't used

[khan1670]

Interesting.

Just because a movie might get remade doesn't mean it has to be remade as present day.

This sounds like a remake that would be better off staying in the past.

[legendarymatt92]

Originally Posted by HotRats

There's no chance China will be the villain, film companies are now too scared of offending the government and having their film banned from that country. Which is why Red Dawn was altered and even World War Z has been tweaked. This leaves films in desparate need of a global superpower villain, North Korea is simply ludicrous as one and Russia seems to be run by ganster capitalists who simply turn up with a sack of stolen cash to get what they want.

A remake could be worthwhile as the original is rather slow and dull apart from McGoohan and there's a lot of good stuff in the book that wasn't used

You're right, there's no common enemy any more; it was Russia, then moved to China, then moved to terrorism and then, slightly, North Korea. With NK having produced no more threats, and terrorism hitting a flat note, there is no country to just lump all of America's fears upon...

...time to bring back the villainous Nazis!

[Outlander]

Excited about this.

Hope it stays as a period piece, not set in present times.