here's yet another entry into the ever growing canon
of Hollywood remaking foreign films...
this time, Spike Lee's "re-imagining" of Oldboy...
"Old Boy" (2013)
dir. Spike Lee
Following in the footsteps of David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Spike Lee's Oldboy looks like a movie which didn't need to be made & who nobody was asking for. I'm not sure why it was remade. The original is pretty popular and well known already. But, maybe, Americans just have a problem with caring about stuff that's not explicitly American.
Also, American remakes of foreign films always lose significance because they become permanently re-codified with a primarily American perspective on the story.
Also, American remakes of foreign films always lose significance because they become permanently re-codified with a primarily American perspective on the story.
It's especially odd since Dir. Chan-Wook Park has now released a film through Hollywood--
Stoker (2013)
Dir. Chan-Wook Park
Why rehash Park's story for American audience when he himself has created a new story for American audiences?
To be fair, Spike Lee's Oldboy was delayed... it may have been in production before Park's Stoker began...
In one way, it's a sign of how popular the entity has become. As with Dragon Tattoo and Let the Right One In, Oldboy has become recognized by Hollywood as a successful & notable franchise. The greatest compliment is imitation, right?
Apparently, Josh Brolin asked Director Park for his blessing in remaking Oldboy; to which Park replied with something like: "Don't remake my movie, you and Spike should make your own movie."* sourced.
This was interpreted by Lee & Brolin as "take creative liberties with the project; make it yours"... but it also sounds a lot like "Come up with a new idea guys."
Apparently, Josh Brolin asked Director Park for his blessing in remaking Oldboy; to which Park replied with something like: "Don't remake my movie, you and Spike should make your own movie."* sourced.
This was interpreted by Lee & Brolin as "take creative liberties with the project; make it yours"... but it also sounds a lot like "Come up with a new idea guys."
I'm confused how or why Spike Lee became attached to this project?
But I haven't looked very hard for an answer.
I'd rather wait for an original movie.
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