Michael Bay's remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds" gets a director

[HyperRealist]

After successfully remaking several 80s slasher films, Michael Bay and his Platinum Dunes banner look ready to remake one of the master of suspense’s classic films alongside Peter Guber’s Mandalay Pictures.

Platinum Dunes, Mandalay Pictures and Universal have tapped Dutch filmmaker Diederik Van Rooijen to direct the remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”

Bay will produce along with his Platinum Dunes producing partners Andrew Form and Brad Fuller with Guber and David Zelon also producing through Mandalay Pictures.

The original plotline followed a San Francisco socialite who moves to a small northern California town that is suddenly under attack from various types of birds. Plot details for this pic are unknown at this time.

Universal Pictures executive vice president of production, Scott Bernstein will oversee the project for the studio.

Van Rooijen is repped by WME and Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman and is best known for his foreign film “Taped.”

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/un...or-1201123184/

[Blu Ian]

This is wrong on so many levels.

[Dumbhuman]

I remember years ago that Naomi Watts was attached to star in a remake of The Birds, but I don't know what other names were attached. I hope she manages to dodge the bullet this time around though because I doubt any production can overcome the inherent audience prejudice against Hitchcock's works being remade.

When I watch The Birds these days, I really do wish the effects were better (they pull me out of the film a bit), but considering I often have the same complaint about current CGI, there's really no guarantee of an improved experience for me. I also can't see a modern film giving such a leisurely pace to the beginning of the film and I'd surely miss that.

[Midnight Rambler]

Absolute heresy !

The "birds" will probably be little robot birds, and will explode on contact with humans, buildings, phone booths, etc.

But at least the kiddies will be entertained ... IF they can be pried away from their phones.

[L.J.]

The Birds just doesnt seem like remake material to me.

[solovoyager]

The infamous Alan Smithee directed a sequel to The Birds in 1994 titled The Birds II: Land's End.

[spanky87]

I hope Platinum Dunes goes out of business soon. What a joke of a production company.

[Blu Titan]

Ok, enough. Either post something worthwhile or don't post at all.

[Infernal King]

This topic might as well be closed because everyone here is (rightfully) mocking this film and I don't see any other way to discuss it.

[AlexIlDottore]

I honestly enjoyed Pain & Gain, and I love Bad Boys 2 (blu ray, please). Everything else that this man touches is sh1t.

[HyperRealist]

I like The Island.

[fiveseven4combat]

Originally Posted by HyperRealist

I like The Island.

The Island was good, I liked Pain and Gain as well as both Bad Boys movies, but he needs to stay away from remakes and reboots. Whether he's directing, producing, or simply having his name attached. He needs to just stick to his own sh!t.

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Ok, enough. Either post something worthwhile or don't post at all.

Well this was a bit extreme, people where discussing a film that they don't want made, some people were defending it and the whole conversation was upbeat and fun (for a change) and now you've only gone and killed a small piece of happiness.

[AlexIlDottore]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Well this was a bit extreme, people where discussing a film that they don't want made, some people were defending it and the whole conversation was upbeat and fun (for a change) and now you've only gone and killed a small piece of happiness.

Quoted for truth.


In this new thread, I replied to Dumbhuman who said

Originally Posted by Dumbhuman

I remember years ago that Naomi Watts was attached to star in a remake of The Birds, but I don't know what other names were attached. I hope she manages to dodge the bullet this time around though because I doubt any production can overcome the inherent audience prejudice against Hitchcock's works being remade.

I said that if Naomi Watts appears in a Michael Bay production, I'll eat my hat.

My comment was deleted.

I also replied to L.J. who said

Originally Posted by L.J.

The Birds just doesnt seem like remake material to me.

I asked if he had seen Birdemic 1 & 2. That too was deleted.

Why were my posts "not worthwhile" ?

I also admittedly suggested that it would be nice if we had a slow motion 360 shot of a crow pecking out a victims eyes, whilst Will Smith screams "Nooooooo" (slowed down) in the background. So I joke about a Bay production of a Birds remake in it's thread, and it gets deleted.

As Harry Dean Stanton repeatedly said in David Lynch's "The Cowboy and the Frenchman", "What the hell ?".

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by AlexIlDottore

Quoted for truth.


In this new thread, I replied to Dumbhuman who said

I said that if Naomi Watts appears in a Michael Bay production, I'll eat my hat.

Close but you said something else.

My comment was deleted.

I also replied to L.J. who said

I asked if he had seen Birdemic 1 & 2. That too was deleted.

Why were my posts "not worthwhile" ?

Now I have not removed any posts from this thread but the way I see it is you are thread crapping / Trolling. I just read the thread that was removed yesterday & you were doing it in there.

You have stated your point ~ You do not like Michael Bay ~ Fine & you have made your point so it is probably time to move on!

[Todd Tomorrow]

I wouldn't mind a remake so much if they made a radically different film, which would be possible as the Hitchcock film retained none of the plot of the Daphne Du Maurier short story it adapted. But they will probably follow the Hitchcock film and when has a remake of a Hitchcock classic ever been a success?

[Rich65]

Well l'm sure it will be as good as the Psycho remake.

[mport5150]

You can thank the lack of original ideas in Hollywood for this.....not every movie needs or should have a "remake" or "reboot".

Why don't we reboot "The Godfather" while we're at it....

[L.J.]

I would say if any movie is a classic then it shouldnt be remade. Which is true in most casses. But then I think of Cape Fear, Dracula, and Frankenstein. They might could do a good remake, its just hard to think they could add anything to a Hitchcock film.

[omenboy]

The reason the original worked so well is the (extremely) small community of people trapped on an island with no way to get or call for help.

The tension and suspense built steadily to its climax through Hitchcock's brilliant nuanced storytelling - in this day, with the prevalence of internet and cell phones, any director, no matter how skilled, would be hard-pressed to duplicate that same aura of fear and isolation, especially one whose main technique is blowing up anything and anyone that moves in his films.

If this has to exist, I would rather see someone like Brian DePalma tackle it, because at least he is a student of Hitchcock who knows a thing or two about building tension and suspense.