Victory (1981) - to be remade

[Guydowood]

Doug Liman is in talks to direct a new version of Escape to Victory, the WWII drama about Allied prisoners-of-war who stage an football match to escape the Nazis.

Liman is fresh from a critical and box-office success with Edge of Tomorrow, and has already signed on to adapt video game Splinter Cell, with Tom Hardy in the lead.

But now, with apt World Cup timing, the Bourne Identity director looks set to helm a remake of the perennial Bank Holiday favourite.

The 1981 John Huston original is much loved for its unique blend of movie stars (Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine) and professional footballers with varying levels of acting talent (Bobby Moore, Pele).

It's still early days on the remake, so there's still no word on cast, though we could already start producing a wish list of footballers-cum-actors.

Could Wayne Rooney's devilish good looks and charismatic northern accent see a second career in Hollywood? Perhaps Phil Neville's media training in his definitely-not-bland BBC commentary is the perfect step to Hollywood stardom? Or maybe this is the moment David Beckham has been waiting for all these years.

[Source: Empire]

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I'm surprised Warner Bros is taking the time to release the Stallone/Caine original to capitalize on the USA being in the World Cup as well.