It was rumored already last week, but I think many thought it seemed a bit far fetched. Well, after a 3 year hiatus Spike Lee will indeed helm the American remake of the Chan-Wook Park classic.
Los Angeles (July 11, 2011) – Mandate Pictures announced today that Spike Lee (Inside Man) will direct OLDBOY, a remake of the highly-acclaimed South Korean film. Mark Protosevich has adapted the screenplay and will co-produce. Roy Lee and Doug Davison (The Departed, The Grudge) will produce. The film is a Vertigo Entertainment/40 Acres & A Mule Production. Mandate President Nathan Kahane will executive produce.
“It’s a great honor to put this special project into the hands of such a gifted writer and iconic director,” said Kahane.
OLDBOY tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned on his daughter’s birthday. For fifteen years, he is held captive, and, upon his release, must begin his journey to find the reason for his imprisonment. He soon finds out that his kidnapper has plans for him more tortuous than his solitary confinement. The original film, released in 2003, directed by Chan-wook Park won the Grand Prize Jury Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.
Spike Lee and Mark Protosevich are represented by CAA. Dan Freedman, SVP of business affairs, negotiated the deals for Mandate.
I know many of you are against this remake, and in the hands of a lesser director I would be too. But I just can't not be excited at the prospect of this. It remains to be seen if the original's more controversial and outright twisted elements will be toned down or removed altogether but I look forward to finding out one way or the other.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.