Will Smith was once rumoured to be circling the role of protagonist in Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake, but that part seems to now be with Josh Brolin. Colin Firth had been much-mooted to take on the role of the villain of the piece (though it would be disheartening in the extreme to see the shades of grey of the imperious Korean original reduced by Hollywood to such conventional character delineations), however he is now quite literally out of the picture.

Although the quality of the end product is more important than any one casting decision, this is something of a shame. Setting Firth’s more refined characteristics against Brolin’s more rugged qualities would have been fascinating, but we are only left now with what might have been.

There is no news yet of who might replace Firth, though Spike will have to get his skates on if that rumoured early-2012 shooting window is to be maintained. It is far too early to describe this hiccup as in any way indicative of production troubles, since every production has its hurdles to overcome on its way to the screen. A new antagonist will need to be found and no doubt a suitable one can and will be. As soon as we hear who it is, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, feel free to let us know below who your hot favourite would be.

Source: Twitch.

]]> http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/12/14/colin-firth-opts-out-of-spike-lees-oldboy/feed/ 0 http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/12/01/producer-roy-lee-talks-oldboy-remake-changes/ http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/12/01/producer-roy-lee-talks-oldboy-remake-changes/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:00:42 +0000 Dave Roper http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/?p=118029

I’ve composed a fair number of posts on the upcoming Oldboy remake and have never ceased to sing the praises of the original, which manages to be thrilling, disturbing and astonishing in equal measure. I’m not sure to what extent Korean revenge thrillers are everyone’s cup of tea, or how many of you have an appetite for watching an actor eat a live octopus, but it really is a breath-taking piece of cinema.

Producer Roy Lee, who has been the impetus behind a lot of the Hollywood reworkings of Asian cinema (The Ring, The Grudge, The Departed), has been talking about the remake of Old Boy and somewhat bewilderingly, reckons the remake will be darker than the original. Pre-production on Oldboy will begin in January 2012, with shooting set to kick off in March. Lee had the following to say about what we might expect:-

“Mark Protosevich has come up with new elements to it that will throw off the audience who have seen the original movie because there are new characters and new situations that present themselves in a way that changes the story but eventually go in the same direction. The ending will be something that the audiences will all be…especially the fans of the original will be very happy with. In fact, some may consider it to be a bit darker. There’s a sort of different interpretation of that hallway scene that is going to hopefully be Spike’s signature moment in the movie that we want to show in a way that we’ve never seen done in an action movie.”

So far, so promising. Keep the essence intact, but embellish in such a way that is has something new to say, rather than just having change for change’s sake. I’m not sure how I feel about this at all. It’s not as if the original is sacred ground, rather that I’m not sure the remake can be surprising or different enough. The last thing we need is another Let the Right One In / Let Me In debacle.

Source: Collider.

Rumours have been flying about for years as to who is set to star in the US remake of Park Chan-wook’s master class in revenge thrillers, Oldboy. Along with director Spike Lee, Josh Brolin and Christian Bale are the latest names dangling from the proverbial grapevine.

And while this might be an improvement on that tense time when Will Smith was still in contention, they’re going to have to pull something pretty spectacular out of the bag to live up to the original.

With eight feature films and a fair few shorts under his belt, Park has established himself as a force to be reckoned with on the world cinema stage. He’s a risk-taker, confident enough to throw himself to the wolves knowing that he’ll come out unscathed. This is, after all, the man whose Berlin Golden Bear-winning short, Night Fishing, was filmed entirely on an iPhone. Eager to scramble out of his comfort zone, he’s recently launched himself across to Pacific to direct his first English-language film, Stoker, starring Nicole Kidman.

Park has cut a niche out for himself with Western audiences with his genre-bending cocktails of twisted narratives and stunning visuals. His films are harsh but delicate, bloody but brooding, every one underscored with echoes of revenge, justice and salvation.

But one thing that often goes overlooked is his dedication to characterisation. With Park refusing to fall into the trap of letting the weapons do the talking (here’s looking at you, Kill Bill), every character is meticulously drawn-up, thought-out and realised. So how better to honour the great man than with an (ever-so-slightly reductive) list of his top five most memorable characters?

5. Ryu in Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (Shin Ha-kyun)
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is the first in Park’s gruesome and incomparable Vengeance Trilogy. Ryu, the film’s deaf, green-haired protagonist, works hard to raise the money for his sick sister’s kidney transplant. So when he finds himself unexpectedly sacked he decides to take drastic action. Egged on by his radical girlfriend, he hatches a plot to kidnap his former boss’ daughter and hold her to ransom.

But when the plan goes pear-shaped – as half-boiled kidnappings are wont to do – it sparks off a torrent of violence that destroys everything in its path. A bloody, messy pressure-cooker of a film, Mr Vengeance kicks off proceedings in typical no-holds-barred style.

Doomed by his well-meaning haplessness, Ryu wanders dazed and abused through a battlefield of his own creation. Considering he doesn’t utter a single word for the entirety of the film, it’s no mean feat that Ryu remains one of the most sympathetic characters in Park’s back catalogue. Mr Vengeance’s message is clear: in the game of revenge, no one is spared.

4. Cha Young-goon in I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (Lim Su-jeong)
You know when Park Chan-wook tries his hand at romantic comedy that the product will be no 50 First Dates. Set in a mental asylum, the rather dubiously-named I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK tells the story of Cha Young-goon, a patient who is convinced that she is – you’ve guessed it – a cyborg.

At some point while she’s tottering around the unit wearing her grandmother’s dentures, whispering into the fluorescent lights of the vending machine and licking batteries at lunch, she catches the eye of Il-sun, a fellow patient with a few eccentricities of his own. Young-goon, meanwhile, finds herself preoccupied with her resolve to murder the ward’s orderlies, who sectioned her own schizophrenic grandmother years ago.

With her ghostly face, toilet-brush hair and fantastically unhinged smile, Young-goon is everything you’d want in a whimsically murderous delusionist. I’m a Cyborg might sound like nothing more than a quirky love story, but this film is Park Chan-wook through and through. A touching offbeat romance with a razor-sharp edge,

I’m a Cyborg shows Park can’t put a foot wrong.

3. Tae-ju in Thirst (Kim Ok-bin)
2009 saw Park turn his attentions to the saturated vampire movie genre. The result was Thirst, about as far removed from old Edward and Bella as it’s possible to get. When a pious monk wakes up from a medical experiment with a nasty craving for human blood, he has to throw his morals out the window in order to survive. Things take a further turn for the tainted as he strikes up an affair with Tae-ju, a bored housewife whose mummy’s-boy husband has been struck down with a lifetime case of manflu.
While this pair start off as dreamy star-crossed lovers, things begin to unravel as Tae-ju plots to get rid of her snivelling husband once and for all. This girl would give Machiavelli a run for his money. Dropping the butter-wouldn’t-melt act before too long, Tae-ju becomes drunk on power and goes straight for the jugular.

Eerily beautiful and commendably twisted, Tae-ju is one of Park’s finest.

2. Oh Dae-su in Oldboy (Choi Min-sik)
In Oldboy, perhaps Park’s best-known movie, a father is kidnapped on a drunken night out. Locked in a single room for fifteen long years without any explanation, Oh Dae-su struggles to figure out who could hold a grudge of such epic proportions against him.

During his incarceration he teeters on the brink of insanity, learning that his wife has been murdered (as he is named the main suspect) and his daughter sent to foster parents. When he is inexplicably released fifteen years later, he meets sushi waitress Mido over a plate of tasty live octopus, and two lonely souls collide. But that’s just the beginning – Oldboy is a slippery head-trip, it’s non-stop high-octane adrenaline with more twists that any reasonable human being can handle.

The flabby, sweating, middle-aged loser that was thrown into the locked room in Oldboy’s early scenes metamorphoses into a consummate killer, dressed all in black, with a mop of bafflingly wild hair.

This is the kind of man your mother warned you about.

1. Lee Geum-ja in Lady Vengeance (Lee Yeong-ae)
Park’s final (and arguably greatest) instalment of the Vengeance Trilogy sees seemingly reserved Geum-ja released from a long stint in prison. Blackmailed into making a false confession when the true killer kidnapped her daughter, the trial of the saintly Geum-ja becomes a media sensation when she is sent to prison for the killing of a young boy. Emerging from her prison sentence apparently still wholesome and intact, Geum-ja has two things she needs to take care of. Firstly, to find her daughter, now living with adoptive parents in Australia. Secondly, to hunt down the true murderer and make him pay.

And with that Geum-ja, and her brilliantly cold, sexual sangfroid, finds herself deservingly at the top spot on our list. Vengeance turns this squeaky-clean angel into a no-nonsense assassin, all hot pink eyeshadow and high heels, who hatches a calculated and systematic plan of revenge against the man who destroyed her life.

The final scenes of this film are like nothing you will ever see. Lady Vengeance is cinema at its most visceral – a guttural, primal cry of rage – and through it all, Geum-ja is silently screaming.

This article was written by Avalon Lyndon, follow her on Twitter here.

With Josh Brolin now confirmed as the lead in Spike Lee’s remake of the cult Korean (dare we say classic?) vengeance film Old Boy, it is with a high level of excitement that we bring you the news that Rooney Mara, the new Girl With The Dragon Tattoo herself, will now be joining the cast.

The news, although not 100% yet as no formal offer has been accepted according to the Twitch report, comes amidst rumours that Christian Bale may also be joining the cast as Josh Brolin’s captor.

For those uninitiated, Old Boy tells of a man who, after being mysteriously held captive for 15 years, is set free from his cell and given the task of finding out who put him there and why. Mara will be going along for the ride as his female companion, whilst Bale will be playing the man who imprisoned him in the first place.

If the rumours are true Lee’s version of Oldboy will have quite the acting chops, but whether it will live up to the highly acclaimed original we just can’t say. If he stays true to the story, however, we’ll see Brolin and Mara’s characters going through a pretty twisted situation indeed.

If you haven’t already seen it, it is hard to over-emphasise how important it is that you catch up with Park Chan-Wook’s imperious revenge film. That the good old USofA would remake it was nigh-on inevitable, whether it will be any good or not, we can only speculate.

Spike Lee is in the director’s chair for the remake, which tells of a man who is incarcerated for 15 years by an unknown captor, before being unexpectedly released and tasked with finding out who kidnapped him and why. Will Smith had been rumoured to be circling the project, but it will now be Josh Brolin. Brolin is all done now with his shooting duties for Men In Black III (alongside Will Smith, natch) and is expected to shoot Gangster Squad before squeezing Oldboy in before Jason Reitman’s Labor Day, which should kick off filming next June. Wowsers, that’s a lot of work in a short space of time, but you know what they say, make hay while the sun shines. Or something like that.

There are rumours circulating that long-serving Batman but occasional American Psycho Christian Bale might sign on as Brolin’s captor, which would certainly make for interesting viewing, but this is all going to stand or fall on Lee’s direction and Mark Protosevich’s screenplay.

What do you think? Is Brolin a good fit for this? Would Bale work well alongside him? Answers below.

Source: Deadline.

If you haven’t seen it, remedy that situation at the earliest opportunity. Oldboy is an incredible, visceral experience, weaving a revenge tale and a mystery together to hugely impactful effect. It can be pretty harrowing at times, but the stand-out virtuoso scene, as star Min-sik Choi works his way down a corridor of goons armed only with a claw hammer, has to be seen to be believed.

Rumours have been going around for a while that Will Smith wanted to appear in a US remake of the Korean original, which frankly would present a significant challenge to the considerable talent of the once Fresh Prince. Dialling back his trademark wise-cracking to something  a lot more measured and restrained (a la I Am Legend or The Pursuit of Happyness) would be absolutely essential, for a start.

Will Smith may still be on board, considering that he has just passed on the lead in Tarantino’s Django Unchained, but today’s news is all about the potential director, one Spike Lee. This is certainly an interesting direction for the remake to take, given Lee’s unquestionable ability as a director. Consider his CV – Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, Inside Man, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour – it’s not hard to imagine him doing an excellent job with this sort of material, although that of course represents a massive assumption as to how any remake might be pitched tonally. Hopefully it will be just like the original; black as pitch.

Mark Protosevich (Poseidon, Thor, I Am Legend) is working on the script, which gives another Will Smith connection, but we will have to wait and see on that front. With any luck we’ll get a respectful remake in the Let The Right One In/Let Me In or Infernal Affairs/The Departed mould, rather than a pillaging of the source material.

Source: Twitch Film.

Famed South Korean director Park Chan-wook is well-known for creating indelible images in his feature film, but for his new project (which was screened for journalists earlier in the week), the filmmaker opted for a very different method of capturing the action. It was filmed entirely on an iPhone 4!

The 30-minute short, which is entitled Paranmanjang (Korean for Ups and Downs) is a stylised look at life and death, which begins with a middle-aged man on a fishing trip, who happens to find the body of a woman tangled up in his net. It was made in conjunction with KT Corp (a wireless operator that is the exclusive distributor of iPhone in South Korea) who contributed to a portion of the $130,000 in production costs.

The Oldboy director teamed up with his younger brother Park Chan-kyong to shoot the film which, regardless of the size of equipment used, was treated as a normal production:

“From hunting for a film location, shooting auditions, to doing a documentary on the filming process, everything was shot with the iPhone 4. We went through all the same film-making processes except that the camera was small.”

Paranmanjang is due to be screened at nine cinemas nationwide later this month.

News courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.

24 Frames are reporting that renowned South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) is in talks to direct Stoker.

Stoker, a film written by Wentworth Miller, currently has Jodie Foster (Panic Room) and Carey Mulligan (An Education) attached to star, and centers on a young woman whose eccentric uncle comes back into her life after the death of her father.

Ridley Scott was previously linked to the project, but – likely due to the amount he has on his slate at the moment – backed out.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as the story develops.

The IMDb250. A list of the top 250 films, as ranked by the users of the biggest movie Internet site on the web. It is based upon the ratings provided by the users of The Internet Movie Database, which number into the millions. As such, it’s a perfect representation of the opinions of the movie masses, and arguably the most comprehensive ranking system on the Internet.

It’s because of this that we at HeyUGuys (and in this case, we, is myself and Gary) have decided to set ourselves a project. To watch and review all 250 movies on the list! We’ve frozen the list as of 1st January this year. It’s not as simple as it sounds, as we’ll be watching them in one year, 125 each.

This is our nineteenth update, a rundown of my next five movies watched for the project.

(You can find last week’s update here)

Notorious (1946) – 8.2 No. 130

Another IMDb250 update, another Alfred Hitchcock film. It’s testament to his great storytelling, and the reputation he still holds, that there are so many of his movies on the list. I haven’t thus far been overwhelmed by the entries i’ve appraised so far however, so will Notorious convince me of the man’s true genius?

Ingrid Bergman is Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a traitor to the US. Following his conviction and subsequent death, she goes off the rails, turning to alcohol and the comfort of men. This makes her the ideal target for government agent T R Devlin, played by Cary Grant. He offers her the chance to redeem herself by going undercover in a sting operation against her father’s former Nazi associates. Her mission is to get close to a German businessman, Alexander Sebastian.

Alicia and Devlin have become very close, so when Sebastian proposes to her, she is torn between her feelings and her duty. Alicia and Devlin allow the marriage to go ahead, despite their mutual affection. This drives a wedge between them, and as Alicia gets close to uncovering Sebastian’s operations, and Devlin tries to help her through the ordeal safely, her German husband’s suspicions are aroused. Can Devlin help her see the mission out safely?

If the plot sounds familiar, you’ve seen Mission: Impossible 2. Clearly M:I2 screenwriter Robert Towne did too, as the broad plotline was cribbed quite closely for the John Woo-directed sequel. The story of a woman forced to play out a relationship with a man she despises has potential, but i don’t think it is worked through particularly well here. In fact, and i’ll take a lot of flak for this, but i think M:I2 actually plays it better, amongst so much else it fails at. The sense of jeopardy and threat just isn’t present enough here, until the final tense scene. The performances by Grant and Bergman are good, and their relationship is certainly layered. The cinematography is, as always, excellent. But there just isn’t enough suspense, and with a poor basic storyline and the weakest of Macguffins to carry, the suspense is what the movie should be built on.

So far i have been entertained by most of Hitchcock’s films on the list, but no more than that. Clearly, the rapid rate at which i’m watching films for the project isn’t allowing me to fully appreciate them, and the list of films i’ll need to revisit after the project is finished is growing at an alarming rate.

The Big Sleep (1946) – 8.1 No. 136

A few weeks ago i watched The Maltese Falcon, the first Humphrey Bogart vehicle i’ve watched in many years, and aside from a couple of the most famous ones, i haven’t really experienced much of his filmography at all. This is my second Bogart film of the project, so will The Big Sleep match up to the little man’s big reputation?

Bogart is Philip Marlowe, an LA private detective. When he is hired by a wealthy gentleman to help out his daughter Carmen with some creditors, he is pulled deep into much bigger mystery. The gentleman’s oldest daughter, Vivian, believes her father has ulterior motives, involving a missing associate.

The trail leads Marlowe to a murder, and a blackmail plot against his client’s younger daughter. The plot then becomes almost ridiculously complicated, with cross, double cross, bluff and double bluff. Much like in The Maltese Falcon, Bogart manages to stay one step ahead of the conspirators trying to stop him, and takes the final twist in his stride as he wraps up another case.

I won’t spoil the plot. It rattles on at an impressive pace, the story doesn’t sit still, and the rapid fire dialogue, particularly between Bogart and Lauren Bacall as Vivian, is wonderful. The twists are interesting, and the storyline as a whole is very entertaining. The romantic strand is a little dubious, a perennial problem with many movies from this period. But Bogart is infinitely watchable, and whilst he doesn’t really have classic movie star looks, his screen presence makes his allure believable.

After just two movies, i can see why Bogart was so popular. And it is refreshing to see an actor who doesn’t have a conventional, handsome look being given parts as a ladies’ man. I’m looking forward to seeing what Bogie has to offer next.

Oldboy (2003) – 8.2 No. 116

I have to be honest, and admit that my Korean movie skills are poor. It’s a large corner of the film market that i have cruelly neglected, so would my first experience sell me on pursuing the market further? Or is Oldboy just too mental a proposition?

Park Chan-wook directs, and Choi Min-sik stars as Oh Dae-su, a drunken businessman, husband and father. Following a particularly raucous night out, Dae-su disappears, and awakens imprisoned in a run-down hotel room. For 15 years he is held there, with no indication of why, and when he learns that his wife has been murdered, his daughter has been fostered, and he himself has been framed, he vows revenge, and spends the duration of his incarceration preparing for escape, and vengeance.

After being unexpectedly released, Dae-su strikes up a relationship with a female sushi chef, who aides him in his investigation. As he comes closer to the truth, his combat skills are put to heavy test, and the few people he still cares about are made to suffer by the people behind his ordeal. Dae-su discovers that a childhood friend, and an incest scandal hold the key to his punishment.

Excellent cinematography, well choreographed action, and a genuinely thought provoking storyline make Oldboy a fascinating movie to watch. It is also completely mental, which only adds to its appeal. What could have been made as a straightforward revenge film is subtlyintrospective, and beneath the over the top violence and extreme plot is a story that delves deep into the human psyche. The exploration of what 15 years of isolation does to the human mind is just the tip of the iceberg, and Oldboy really has to be seen several times to be truly appreciated.

The storyline has some almost unbelievable elements, and a brilliant ending is required to justify the extremity of what has come before. It does, however, pay off perfectly, and validates the madness, tying up all elements of the twisted plot.

A great introduction for me to Korean cinema, and i will be seeking out more movies, beginning with more of Chan-wook’s work, probably the first of his Vengeance Trilogy, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance. Oldboy is definitely a must watch.

Good Will Hunting (1197) – 8.0 No. 196

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were young actors, trying to break into the Hollywood big time. Frustrated by the lack of great offers, and big opportunities, they decided to write their own movie. With a bit of hustle and borrowed muscle, they managed to push it through development, and bagged an Oscar between them for Best Original Screenplay.

Damon plays the titular Will Hunting, and Affleck his childhood friend Chuckie Sullivan. Together with their other friends, they work manual labour jobs by day and tear it up at night. Working as a janitor at MIT, Will’s genius mind is revealed to one of the professors there when he easily solves a complicated equation. There’s a problem however. Will is arrested for assault, badly timed it so happens as he has just met Skylar, a beautiful and intelligent student played by Minnie Driver.

The professor manages to strike a deal, which involves Will being released into his custody, to work in the mathematics department alongside him. The catch is that Will must see a therapist. The brilliant young man proves a match for the minds brought in to help him work through his emotional problems, linked to childhood abuse. That is until Sean Maguire is brought in, a gifted psychologist played by Robin Williams. Maguire attempts to force Will to face his fears, and overcome the emotional blocks that stop him from making the most of his gift.

Good Will Hunting is a strange one. The storyline has some very good elements, and parts of it are genuinely affecting. There are also some contrived, poorly written moments alongside them. The battle of wits between Will and his parade of head doctors, and the allusions to his psychologically damaging childhood are well written and acted. Will’s romance with Skylar, and his relationship with his friends are very poorly written, with some terrible dialogue and poor acting.

What is really interesting is that two men who have forged careers as actors have seen their biggest success as writers. Affleck’s performance here is pretty bad, but Damon show the promise that has lead to a continued career in the spotlight. It helps that he shares scenes with the brilliant Robin Williams, who has never been better as the unassuming, highly talented therapist, who brings out Will’s true emotions, whils\t learning a lot about himself in the process.

This was the first time i’d seen Good Will Hunting, and i wasn’t all that excited to watch it. It does have some brilliance, but there is also a very amateur air about some of the storyline. I can see why it is in the list, but it is doubtful it would be in my own, and but for the presence of Robin Williams, i’d probably never choose to watch it again.

LA Confidential (1997) – 8.4 No. 63

There were a few movies in the nineties whose brilliance was predicated on a cleverly plotted twist. Seven and The Usual Supects both utilised this, both featured Kevin Spacey and both are featured in the IMDb250 list. There is a third movie that also meets these criteria, but somehow seems to be the forgotten cousin.

LA Confidential is director Curtis Hanson’s fifties crime noir, adapted alongside screenwriter Brian Helgeland from the James Ellroy novel. Guy Pearce plays Edmund Exley, a young, idealistic and highly ambitious cop. He rises through the ranks quickly, due in no small part to a police scandal involving among others fellow cops Bud White, played by Russell Crowe, and Spacey’s Jack Vincennes.

White is an ox of a man, with a quick temper and a fondness for helping out abused women. Vincennes is a veteran who has lost his way, enjoying the celebrity of his connection to the Badge of Honour TV show, letting his morals lapse in the process. The differing activities of all three men lead them to the same conspiracy, and they find their lives at risk not just from the scum on the streets, but by the trusted men that they call colleagues.

LA Confidential is drawn together by a big twist, but unlike Seven and The Usual Suspects it isn’t this that lends it its greatness. A fantastically written story, amazing acting performances and a perfect blend of suspense and action make LA Confidential not just one of the great films of the nineties, but one of the best ever committed to celluloid. It’s a long film, but races by, with no wasted motion whatsoever.

The turns by Pearce and Crowe, both young and unknown at the time, made their careers. Their performances are great, there is no doubt, but they are somewhat saddled with two-dimensional characters. That is why it is Spacey who shines, despite being reduced to a supporting role, as the seasoned detectiveforced to re-evaluate the way he has conducted his career. He is more reactive than proactive, but his brilliant scene with the force behind the corruption in the LA police force, which features the mention of a name that conjures just as much power as John Doe and Keiser Soze, is the stand out of an amazing movie.

If you’ve never seen it, watch it, if you’ve forgotten it, rediscover it, because LA Confidential doesn’t just deserve to be in the list, it should be in the top ten. Easily the best film i have watched for the project so far, it is going to take some beating to be surpassed in my end of the year evaluation of the project.

You can find Gary’s next update next Monday, and i’ll see you here in two weeks time.

Don’t forget, you can follow our progress on Twitter at http://twitter.com/baz_mann and http://twitter.com/gary_phillips_.

Bazmann

Variety are reporting today that Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a project that had Terminator: Salvation helmer McG attached as director, has been shelved indefinitely by Disney (full story here). It seems they are concentrating instead on other projects such as Pirates of the Caribbean 4, a director for which was announced earlier today (read our story here).

Probably the most interesting aspect of this story, for me at least, was that Will Smith was rumoured to be attached to play the lead. In itself not all that strange, but just last week the proposed Old Boy remake, again starring Smith, with Steven Speilberg attached, was also reported to be collapsing. IMDB lists 25 projects in development for Smith, including sequels for Hancock and I Am Legend, but as yet nothing is in production. Considering Smith hasn’t appeared on the big screen since last year’s Seven Pounds, why is one of the most bankable lead men in Hollywood not being put to work? Too expensive, or is he just taking a break?

Bazmann