A couple of weeks back we made mention of the fact that it appeared that Sharlto Copley had been offered the lead in the Spike Lee’s English-language remake of the Korean film Oldboy. The actor has since accepted the role and is now officially slated to appear in the film as Adrian Pryce, a man who orchestrates the fifteen-year-long imprisonment of Josh Brolin’s character Joe Douchett, leaving him to piece together the mystery as to why upon his release.
Previously, both Colin Firth and Clive Owen were offered the part but passed for various reasons. Elizabeth Olsen has been offered the lead female role of a social worker who tries to help Brolin’s character unravel the mystery of his imprisonment but there has been report if she has accepted the part.
The original film from director Park Chan-Wook has developed a following in the US, many of whom were upset over an English language remake and the possibility that Hollywood sensibilities would water down the film’s shocking ending. Producer Roy Lee addressed those fears about writer Mark Protosevich’s screenplay last November when he stated-
It’s very similar, but we’ve added new elements. Or, Mark Protosevich has come up with new elements to it that will throw off the audience who have seen the original movie because there are new characters and new situations that present themselves in a way that changes the story but eventually go in the same direction… The ending will be something that the audiences will all be…especially the fans of the original will be very happy with. In fact, some may consider it to be a bit darker.
The film is scheduled to get in front of cameras in late September.
Via Deadline.
