Ransone joined the Spike Lee project late, replacing Nate Parker when his schedule was prohibitive of him joining the film. The role in question is that of a doctor who works with Elizabeth Olsen's character and Ransone describes as 'a nice person.' Below he reveals a bit of what to expect when the film is released on October 13, 2013.
On those that criticize remaking what many consider a classic and important work of cinema:
Ransone: Spike is an actual filmmaker. He’s a uniquely American voice, and argumentative, a polemic. We get along because we’re both antagonistic. There wouldn’t be a point to make it, otherwise. For as antagonistic as he seems in the press, I’ve never worked with someone as loyal as he is, to me. Most of his crew he’s had with him since School Daze. He carries me around like a bag of old dirty laundry.
On working with Josh Brolin who takes on the role made legendary by Min-Sik Choi:
Ransone: Josh, no matter what people’s expectation of the movie is, is really intense. He’s been living with this. He knew he was going to do this for a long time. His A-game is really intense. In the remake, the captivity scenes are longer than in the original. In the remake, they get more in-depth. What Josh did to his body, I’ve never seen an actor do before. He showed up pretty lean, pretty cut, and they shot the scene pretty much in sequence. In the course of nine days, he was ripped, he was fat, and then he was ripped again. He gained 35 pounds in one week, and then he dropped 19 pounds. I think Josh is so talented at what he does, I think there’s no way it’s going to be that bad. I met him for the first time last week. I’ve never worked with him before.
There's a bit more at Entertainment Weekly so feel free to click the source link below if you're curious about the project. There's a few trippy twists and turns in the movie that may not make it into Spike Lee's version of the film which is said to be closer to the manga than Park's adaptation.
An everyday man has only five days and limited resources to discover why he was imprisoned in a nondescript room for 15 years without any explanation.
Running Time: Unknown
Release Date: October 13, 2013
MPAA Rating: R (likely)
Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharlto Copley, James Ransone, Lance Reddick, Michael Imperioli
Director: Spike Lee
Written by: Garon Tsuchiya (manga) Nobuaki Minegishi (manga) Mark Protosevich (screenplay)
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