For years, chatter circulated about a potential remake of Oldboy, a critically-acclaimed South Korean film by Park Chan-wook, but all that seemed to do is stir up a bit of unrest amongst the film’s fans. Now, one report says that the remake is back on the table and that Spike Lee is looking to take the reins. The director is reportedly in talks to helm the feature.
The original film, released in 2003, is the story of a man who is held in a hotel room for 15 years with no idea why he’s locked up. He’s finally released, with a bit of money, a cell phone and a big reason to seek revenge on the people who kept him captive for a large chunk of his life. Of course, everything gets a little more complicated when romance becomes a part of the equation. The film was adapted from a Japanese comic book originally and was presumably, a lot more complicated than that.
Now, Lee certainly isn’t the obvious choice when you’re looking to remake a film like this, but he’s an interesting and promising one. We can be certain that whatever Lee would do with his adaptation, we can expect that it will maintain a distinct voice and treat the sensitive emotional components of such a harrowing story with great care and attention. Fans endured the prospect of Stephen Spielberg and Will Smith taking over back in 2009 until it thankfully crashed and burned, so it makes sense that if a remake happens at all, it is put in the hands of one of the most prolific and creative directors out there.
Source: Twitch (via Comingsoon)
