For a while, I’ve been of the opinion that while the idea of remaking a film can often be a signal of creative bankruptcy, it does nothing that detracts from the worth of the original film. In fact, it may even help enhance the original. And certainly, a studio remaking a film does not mean that they’ll be sending some goons to your home to take your DVD copy of the original off your shelf.
But then again, there comes an announcement that seems particularly designed to test my resolve to this opinion. Case in point- the news that Johnny Depp would like to remake the classic 1934 mystery-comedy The Thin Man. Apparently Depp has been having such a good time with director Rob Marshall on the set of Pirates Of The Caribbean 4: On Strange Tides that he has been talking to the director about helming a remake of the classic film with Depp taking over William Powell’s role as the martini-loving, retired detective.
There’s no script, though Deadline is reporting that because of Depp’s interest it is suddenly a hot property at Warner Brothers, with the studio compiling a short list of writers they want to talk with about tackling the project.
While I think Depp is a remarkable actor who often disappears into his roles, I don’t see him as the suave and wisecracking Nick Charles. A major portion of the film’s success is anchored in the sexy and comedic chemistry that Powell shared with Myrna Loy who played his wife, Nora. Are there actresses out there who could create a semblance of this chemistry with Depp? Perhaps, but I am having a hard time visualizing it right now.
