Making press rounds for Gangster Squad, actor Josh Brolin dropped a few tidbits about his collaboration with director Spike Lee on the remake of the Korean film, Oldboy. Brolin confirmed that his work on the film is over and that he was initially had pessimistic outlook on the project thinking, "Uh-oh, this could be a stinker." However, by the end of the project he felt very confident and sung praises for Lee, calling him a "fantastic director", adding that he was "blown away" by costar Elizabeth Olsen and called cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (Shame, Hunger) an “unbelievable addition to the team".
He went on to say that the remake will be similar to the Korean film in "structure" only. Which was in fact the direct wish of the original director Park Chan-Wook, who gave his blessing on that lone condition. So expect the complete story to unfold in a similar manner as the original film but don't expect a shot-for-shot remake as the film is said to be taking its ques from the manga which was incomplete at the time of the original.
UPDATE: More detailed responses from Brolin, courtesy of Collider which appears to be part of the same roundtable interview---
“With Oldboy, look, it’s Spike Lee, its myself, there’s the DP Sean Bobbitt, who’s [frick]ing amazing, man, and me talking to Chan-wook Park and saying, ‘Do you mind if we do this?’ and his only request was just don’t do the same movie and it’s like no were not interested in that. Structurally, as a scaffolding, it’s the same movie, but what we do with is very different. It looks very different.. Spike, about two and a half weeks into the movie cut together this four minute compilation just for me to look at. Not that I needed it, not that I felt like I’m lost, I don’t know what I’m doing. He just gave it to me and said, ‘Don’t look at this until you get home.’ And I watched this four-minute compilation and it looked fantastic. It was a massive, massive inspiration.”
"We did eight minute to eleven minute long takes [in the motel room] where he would just let me go and do whatever. I’d be sitting there naked in the room and he would say, ‘You’ve been in the room thirteen years: go.’ And I would do eight minutes on that and whatever would come up. Some of it was really stupid and unusable. Some of it was really fun and interesting.”
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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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