# Steven Spielberg and Will Smith to remake OLDBOY



## Bloody_Inferno (Nov 24, 2009)

Will Smith Says Oldboy Won&#8217;t be Adaptation of Chan-wook Park&#8217;s Film - Film School Rejects

We saw it coming, this thread predicted it:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/movies-books-tv-and-media/32557-god-damn-remakes.html

But according to Spielberg, he's going straight to the source and getting the rights to the original manga Oldboy, not the Chan Wook Park film based on the same manga. 

All I can say is, Will Smith? You're already going to ruin the Karate Kid, please don't ruin this.


----------



## Ishan (Nov 24, 2009)

I'll never understood why most americans can't watch a foreign movie (and, hooo the horror... subtitles!!!). And saying they want to adapt the original manga is just another bad excuse...


----------



## synrgy (Nov 24, 2009)

No....

No...

Nononononononononononononononononononononono!!!!!!!

   


Fuck you, Spielberg.


----------



## Randy (Nov 24, 2009)

This angers me.


----------



## lobee (Nov 24, 2009)

Ishan said:


> I'll never understood why most americans can't watch a foreign movie (and, hooo the horror... subtitles!!!).



They aren't making this movie because Americans don't like foreign movies with subtitles. They're making it because it's a good, fresh story that they can introduce to the American film market to get that dollar dollar bill y'all. I don't think many people are aware of Oldboy(the original) over here, so maybe at the very least people will check out the original after seeing the new one. 

They aren't ruining anything. You can still watch the original and completely ignore the new one. I'll probably check out the new one for curiosity's sake, and it won't live up to the original, but that's ok. I'm not expecting a masterpiece. I'm interested in seeing where they'll take it. If they drag it through the mud, at the very least it'll make the original seem that much better.


----------



## samurai7drew (Nov 24, 2009)

this will help to diminish my list of esoteric movies to recommend. now _everyone_ will know about the chan wook park version and claim they have for years. my hipness will now go un-noticed. 

but seriously, at least they're not re-making anything else from the vengeance trilogy...a.k.a. "sympathy for mr. will smith".

edit:


Ishan said:


> I'll never understood why most americans can't watch a foreign movie (and, hooo the horror... subtitles!!!).



I've found this to be true somewhat. I'm not sure this is the reason for re-making it but, it seems most people I know can't
be bothered to watch a foreign film with subtitles because they all have massive ADD issues and will end up missing half of
the important dialogue. also, most foreign films dubbed in english sound comical to me and seem to detract from the envisioned acting and seriousness of it all...unless it's not a serious film (like shaolin soccer), then I'm pretty ok with it.

"what's this?? a film that you need to pay close attention to? that's obsurd! somebody pop in shrek."


----------



## Gamba (Nov 24, 2009)




----------



## Bloody_Inferno (Nov 24, 2009)

lobee said:


> They aren't making this movie because Americans don't like foreign movies with subtitles. They're making it because it's a good, fresh story that they can introduce to the American film market to get that dollar dollar bill y'all. I don't think many people are aware of Oldboy(the original) over here, so maybe at the very least people will check out the original after seeing the new one.
> 
> They aren't ruining anything. You can still watch the original and completely ignore the new one. I'll probably check out the new one for curiosity's sake, and it won't live up to the original, but that's ok. I'm not expecting a masterpiece. I'm interested in seeing where they'll take it. If they drag it through the mud, at the very least it'll make the original seem that much better.


 
Good points. And the remakes can be done well even today's standards. Martin Scorecese proved it with The Departed. And I love both The Departed and the 3 Infernal Affairs movies. The first Ring remake was good, though everything after weren't so good. L'Appartement was remade brilliantly to Wicker Park. 

I'll probably end up watching this anyway, much like very Hollywood remake of foreign films (with the exception of The Lake House, haven't seen that yet). I guess my gripe is that Will Smith has already missed the point in I Am Legend and we're already waiting to what will become an abysmal remake of The Karate Kid. So IMO the likelyhood of this becoming another terrible remake like the Wicker Man and The Grudge are certain. 

I could be wrong though.


----------



## sami (Nov 24, 2009)

Ahhh wtf, I read this a couple of weeks ago: Steven Spielberg and Will Smith&#8217;s Old Boy is No More | /Film

Now I'm confused... which site is accurate?


----------



## Bloody_Inferno (Nov 24, 2009)

sami said:


> Ahhh wtf, I read this a couple of weeks ago: Steven Spielberg and Will Smiths Old Boy is No More | /Film
> 
> Now I'm confused... which site is accurate?


 
That link is most recent, should've checked the date. 

I guess that's a good thing.


----------



## MFB (Nov 24, 2009)

What. The. FUCK.

Why the FUCK Would they even THINK to do this?


----------



## Karl Hungus (Nov 25, 2009)

I doubt an Oldboy remake could be possible, for two reasons:

1. The plot. No mainstream Hollywood director is going to make a film with Oldboy's storyline. No company would back it either, it's far, far too taboo a subject for what would be a very big film.

2. Way too controversial. A lot of news sources linked the film to the Virginia Tech massacre, if they were making an Oldboy remake, you'd have a lot of angry nutjobs protesting it and causing havoc. BS: Virginia Tech Mass Murderer Learned How To Kill By Watching Movies | /Film


----------



## phaeded0ut (Nov 25, 2009)

... and a great howling was heard in the void! Park's film was great, not quite as visceral as the manga, but still... I'm getting images in my head of a South Park episode, Oh Dae-Su, Fresh Prince and Spielberg in a dirty alley... 

Ugh...


----------



## sami (Nov 29, 2009)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> That link is most recent, should've checked the date.
> 
> I guess that's a good thing.



It is!! Yours was 2008 and mine was 2009. I thought mine was less recent but then I caught the year.


THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE MADE AFTER ALL!!


----------



## Scar Symmetry (Nov 29, 2009)

It's already ruined...


----------



## phaeded0ut (Nov 30, 2009)

As long as they aren't going to make it, I'm a happy camper, I really liked the Park version.


----------



## Scar Symmetry (Nov 30, 2009)

The only complaint I have about the original is that I saw the twist coming a mile off.


----------



## helly (Nov 30, 2009)

While I'm certainly not disappointed that the remake isn't going through, I don't know why everybody's hating so hard.

Oldboy was amazing, original to a degree, but really it's merit was simply in creative photography direction, amazingly choreographed action scenes (one versus many, anyone?), and acting good enough to completely disregard the language barrier.

There is no reason the film couldn't be remade to a similar level of quality. None at all. Will Smith is a pretty decent actor, and to claim he "missed the point" of I Am Legend assumes that he had anything to do with the writing, which he didn't. As hit and miss as Spielberg has been, he, too, has put out some wonderful work.

Just some food for thought, kids. Coulda been as good as The Departed.


----------



## synrgy (Nov 30, 2009)

helly said:


> While I'm certainly not disappointed that the remake isn't going through, I don't know why everybody's hating so hard.
> 
> Oldboy was amazing, original to a degree, but really it's merit was simply in creative photography direction, amazingly choreographed action scenes (one versus many, anyone?), and acting good enough to completely disregard the language barrier.
> 
> ...



I'm just really, *really* tired of all the remakes, re-hashes, re-works, re-interpretations, etc of existing bodies of work. If Spielberg (or anyone else in Hollywood jumping on the next remake bandwagon, like the upcoming A-Team movie, for instance) doesn't have any original ideas, they need to not make any more films until they do. It's that simple. Step back with your gajillion dollar bank account and let some of the independent film makers who actually have some IDEAS left step forward for a bit.


----------



## Scar Symmetry (Nov 30, 2009)

We need more films like Iron Man. Bring on Iron Man 2!


----------



## phaeded0ut (Dec 1, 2009)

helly said:


> While I'm certainly not disappointed that the remake isn't going through, I don't know why everybody's hating so hard.
> 
> There is no reason the film couldn't be remade to a similar level of quality. None at all. Will Smith is a pretty decent actor, and to claim he "missed the point" of I Am Legend assumes that he had anything to do with the writing, which he didn't. As hit and miss as Spielberg has been, he, too, has put out some wonderful work.
> 
> Just some food for thought, kids. Coulda been as good as The Departed.



In this regard, I think that many folks have visions of Ang Lee's take on "the Hulk." 

I do agree, Will Smith and Steven Spielberg have both done some amazing work through the years, they've both been VERY hit-or-miss as of late. For something like this, there are far better actors and directors who could pull of something as visceral as "Old Boy." If it was Ridley Scott or Quentin Tarantino and Vigo Mortensen, then I think folks might have reacted differently... 

Personally, I'd love to see Spielberg really have to work on a sci-fi film... Maybe a C.J. Cherryh Sci-Fi novel made into a movie, "Downbelow Station?" Not sure if I'd be happy with Spielberg's interpretation of the Chanur or Foreigner series. Ridley Scott or Michael Straczynski might be better choices.

If they had decent writers for the script, having the ol' team of Spielberg and Lucas directing any of Iain M. Banks' Culture Series would be beyond fantastic. Again, I'd really love to see the pair of them really have to work (as hard as they did with the Star Wars series in episodes 4 through 6).


----------

