:(
[URL="http://movies.ign.com/articles/931/931788p1.html?RSSwhen2008-11-19_060400&RSSid=931788"]Source IGN[/URL]
[URL="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ia94c7ef2006ea33dd825ab227fcd02fb"]Source THR.com[/URL]
From IGN.com:
[quote]
I Am Oldboy
Legend scribe to pen Korean remake?
by Chris Tilly, IGN UK
UK, November 19, 2008 - Judging from the comments that followed our previous story on the subject, the readers of IGN are none-too-pleased with Hollywood's plans to remake Korean drama Oldboy.
Well today we've got an update that may further infuriate the faithful in the shape of Mark Protosevich possibly being brought on board as writer. Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are already attached as director and star on the project, which concerns one man's efforts to find and punish the kidnapper who held him captive for 15 years.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Protosevich is apparently in early talks to pen the remake, which would make sense as his previous collaboration with Smith -- I Am Legend -- grossed $584m worldwide.
They don't seem fitting for the project at all.
I just can't see Smith playing the lead, it just doesn't seem right at all.
The plot is difficult to imagine in American terms. I think part of the charm was that it was a foreign film and it made it more believable or something. Post-hypnotic suggestion might not fit well with American audiences, especially in mainstream.
I can't see how they can make a US version of a guy cutting out his tongue in shame. That's 100% asian.
I saw the title cut off on the homepage and I prayed
"please not smith please not smith please not smOH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE"
wow, that's one major inappropriate casting.
though I can't see incest, tongue cutting, and hypnotism working all that great. Especially with Will Smith taking part in all of them.
this **** aint kosher for the west, for sure
More [URL="http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/exclusive-will-smith-talks-oldboy.php"]news.[/URL]
[quote]FSR Exclusive
Will Smith Says Oldboy Won’t be Adaptation of Chan-wook Park’s Film
Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 21, 2008
I just came home from a red carpet premier of Will Smith’s film Seven Pounds. The star is on a tour of premiers promoting the film which is starting to create some major Oscar buzz for the already twice-nominated superstar. I’ll have a full red carpet report later, but first, I was able to stop Smith for a few questions, and a couple laughs. One of the hottest topics for me is Smith’s involvement in Steven Spielberg’s acquisition of the rights for Oldboy, and the actor didn’t disappoint on the news front.
We reported on this news almost two weeks ago, but there is a big development from what the star was able to tell me. Fans have already made themselves heard about their distaste for Oldboy being remade and Smith being the man rumored to take the lead. Well, we heard it straight from the star’s mouth that he is definitely starring in Steven Spielberg’s Oldboy…with a twist. Smith wanted to make a very strong point that this is not an adaptation of Chan-wook Park’s 2003 film. So what is it an adaptation of?
We’re looking at that right now. Not the film though, it’s the original source material. There’s the original comics of ‘Oldboy’ that they made the first film from. And that’s what we’re working from, not an adaptation of the film…,” said Smith.
Apparently Spielberg wasn’t acquiring the rights to the film Oldboy, he was acquiring the rights to the original source material of the graphic novel ‘Oldboy.’ I guess the next question would be - what does this mean? This means that fans can rest a bit easier knowing that no one is trying to make a better Oldboy for an American audience. This means that Spielberg is free to truly adapt the source material and not try and copycat the brilliance of Park’s masterpiece. This also means that it will likely be an entirely different film, however, but the graphic novel is still very close to Park’s movie. So stay tuned as more details come in.
if I recall the movie was pretty ****ing faithful to the graphic novel, so... I don't really see a difference if they use the comic or the movie as source material.
Basically the same problem. The comics aren't appropriate for American audiences.
Big Willie Style, Wild Wild West, The Pursuit of Happiness... Oldboy. His repertoire looks odd enough as it is, but remaking a Charlton Heston movie and then immediately (sort of) remaking a Park Chan Wook movie is just mean.
I like it when people assume that because we are Western, we are incapable of wrapping our minds around a foreign concept. I find that to be not at all offensive. I also like it when people think that Will Smith is incapable of playing this role, because he's Western and arguably because he's black, and incapable of fitting into the role, despite the fact that he's a phenomenal actor in his own right. It doesn't matter. He's Western and he's black. But hell, apparently we're culturally inferior and not within bounds to reasonably adapt our thinking or our attention to a foreign concept for the purpose of watching a movie about it.
Does this open the door to me making slanty-eye jokes and commenting on how backwards their culture is, seeing as how apparently I am incapable of appreciating or understanding it? *** I hope so, I do so look forward to that.
/passiveaggressiverant