Spike Lee is all set to start shooting his English-language remake of the Korean film Oldboy, he’s just waiting on studio Mandate Pictures to give him the go ahead.
Lee revealed that all he is waiting for is a green light for the project in a new interview with GQ stating, “You know they’re still trying to get the numbers straight, but I think it’s going to happen.”
The film is set to star Josh Brolin as a man who is mysteriously imprisoned for 15 years and then just as mysteriously released and who tries to find out who is captor was. Sharlto Copley and Elizabeth Olsen are also set to star. If you’ve seen the original film by Park Chan-Wook, you can probably guess the nature of their two roles, but I am not going to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it.
The original film, part of Park’s thematic “Vengeance Trilogy” 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.
Lee states that he hopes to have the film in production this fall.
