No word yet on who will direct but word is that Denzel Washington is slated to star in a US remake of Kim Ji-Woon's A Bittersweet Life. The project has been in development at Fox and it's hard to imagine them hitting the same tone as the original with Washington in the lead, he is just such a different style of actor than original star Lee Byung-Hyun.
"weaponized herpes" bwahahahahaha!
OK, Denzel is in danger of quickly becoming another Nic Cage. Like Nic Cage in Ghost Rider..."What? I'm young! I can pass for in my 20's! What?"
Puh.
Theh.
Tic.
Hey, they should remake The Bodygaurd actually, with Nic Cage in the Costner role and Denzel in the Whitney Houston role. Talk about hitting all kinds of demographics in one fell swoop.
Yeah this is gonna blow like a hooker on VE Day, but I bet he still gets an oscar nom for it. He will lose of course to Will Smith in Oldboy. Now excuse me while I go off myself.
I just got out of bed and it's already a bad day.
A Bittersweet Life was fun, but its biggest strength was the Asian brand of violence that even the gun-stroking republic can't match.
At least with Fox, we'll get some wonderful bi-partisan entertainment with no socio-political brown-nosing or allegiance to a specific group or faction. That and they'll probably cook up some really innovative title like "Liberty Road", or " Death For Freedom".
I can remember being wowed and awed by American cinema as a child. There was a wave of films which could tell stories and depict characters merely through visuals. Everything from Film-Noir to the Breakfast Club had the American style and I loved it. And even now the most contrived genres that have been mined empty over the years, were once fresh and honest. Marathon Man is just one of those excellent films that comes to mind.
Now there's a reluctance to fund anything fresh. The money is on what one might consider the quick dollar; Americanizing foreign films.
I can only hope someone else comes along and spreads democracy and freedom to the film industry.
I can't see Denzel allowing himself to be buried in mud. I think that is the biggest hindrance to the success of this film.
hopefully this dies a death along with that long in gestation 'oldboy' remake...anyone seen the Bollywood version?? hah!
- but at least with 'oldboy' it might be impossible to remake cos there is a massive issue with the rights since showeast went tits up and the main dude went on the run!!
but yeah, denzel - who plays denzel is EVERY movie he is in...the whole concept is so un-american anyway its makes my head spin...just like when 'they' were talking about the 'joint security area' remake and basing it on the usa/mexican border...cos yeah, that's as sensitive a subject as the north/south korean situation...dumbasses.
Hey, I'd love to see one of these projects work. The evidence is against it, though.
I doubt any problems with Showeast (not heard about that!) will stop the Oldboy remake, though - wasn't Will Smith supposed to be angling for something much closer to the original manga?
The fact that they're remaking it is bad enough, but that's not what repulsed me. The casting is just so very wrong. Was the same with Oldboy. You here Will Smith and just throw your arms in the air and walk away muttering.
My friends and classmates didnt believe me in 2002 (the ring's year) when I said that there was going to be more and more asian remakes. Hollywood is lost in itself.
I could almost understand a need to remake OldBoy but why this?
I loved the film but, plot-wise, it was nothing original and my pleasure came from the style, tone, and look of the film.
So what is there to remake when the plot is so simple? The setting gave the thing what meaning it had.
The original felt like a remake of a Hong Kong film already!
Like I said, I liked it but just didn't think it was in any way original even if the whole package was nice.
DEFINITELY not a Tarantino-esque (whatever that means) film in any way. More humanity than anything he's done (Jackie Brown included).
@ChevallerAgulla, I don't disagree with you. I only made that comment because that's all I see. The constant complaining although it's not without reason, was tiring to see. The feedback loop doesn't connect or has any chance of changing the situation.
As long as the box office is full, they'll keep laughing their way to the bank. The best I can do is not support them. And I'd think that it helps fund the studios where the original was produce. That's where I'll place my money by seeing the originals. What else can one do?
A Bittersweet Man On Fire starring Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, Val Kilmer and Patricia Arquette. Director needs no introduction!
No one needs this remake! Really!
You know, Hollywood is not all to blame. Correct me if I'm missing something but why the hell foreign filmmakers continue to sell the rights to their masterpieces only to get chopped up by the MBA development execs in Hollywood?!! I absolutely refuse to believe it's because of $$ and recognition. C'mon!! Save the film's integrity!! I guess it's hard to say until I'm in their shoes.
on the other hand folks, why does Lee Byung-Hyun has to make his Hollywood debut in crap like GI Joe?
Damn, "Bittersweet Life" is my all-time favorite SK film.
I'm not surprised Hollyweird is doing a remake. That's all they're doing these days as they have no original ideas left.
They should being going with a younger actor, but it won't matter. This film will suck regardless.
I absolutely refuse to believe it’s because of $$ and recognition.
You're right. It's about $$ - the increased recognition is largely a myth.
"You know, Hollywood is not all to blame. Correct me if I’m missing something but why the hell foreign filmmakers continue to sell the rights to their masterpieces only to get chopped up by the MBA development execs in Hollywood?!! I absolutely refuse to believe it’s because of $$ and recognition. C’mon!! Save the film’s integrity!! I guess it’s hard to say until I’m in their shoes."
Asian companies seem not to care about what happens with their product outside of their own markets. If a hollywood studio wants to buy the rights and produce a remake and sequels to the remake they really don't care as long as they get paid.
But again, the point can't be denied, the money monster that is hollywood is a lazy fat monster.
Why not just release the original film to the west and give it a chance? There are some viewers out there who are willing to read subtitles...
for chirst sake.......another blatant remake of an already brilliant film....
not a good idea at all......Hollywood should start remaking their worst films....god knows there's thousands of those that need reworking......
A Bittersweet Life was a boring movie, Denzel is the worst actor on the planet.
i ain't crying.
The Visitor clearly is having a bad day...
I love Bittersweet Life and I love Denzel as an actor, but putting the two together is a giant no-no. Like the guy in the top post said, I can really see this being a Scott-Washington collaboration with yet more of Scott's trademark stylish slow-mo using hand crank camera etc etc. So in essense it'll be JUST like Man on Fire. But Denzel...I mean, can you see him playing a character that gets jealous and all goofy in love over his boss's woman? He's Denzel! Nah...won't work...
Denzel, please watch the original and realise what a mistake this is!!
...and it appears to be mostly pretty bad, but Kim Ji-Woon's film was mostly gorgeous surface (not a knock), so a clumsily written script isn't game over.