A new viral trailer for Spike Lee’s remake of Chan-wook Park’s classic film Oldboy has been released. The “Preparing your stay” trailer ties in with the previous “Hotel Oldboy” posters.
The film’s official Tumblr page has released some new viral posters as well:
Spike Lee has released the first poster for his remake of Chan-wook Park’s live-action Oldboy film. In the remake, Josh Brolin plays Joe Doucett (the character that was originally named Oh Dae-su and played by Min-sik Choi in the Korean film), who is kidnapped, kept in solitary confinement for 20 years and then released with no explanation; Joe then goes on a mission to find who’s behind his imprisonment. The film open on 25 October in America and 6 December in the UK.
The film’s Facebook page also posted some teaser images:
The visuals are certainly similar to the original Korean live-action adaptation of Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi’s Oldboy manga. The story also seems to be a replica of the original, with only a few differences and character name changes.
With such similarities to the original, this remake does seem fairly unnecessary, especially as Chan-wook Park’s film is such a captivating piece of cinema, and it’s a shame that the original can’t be left to stand on it’s own. Hollywood is simply trying to cash in on the success of the original, but will likely share little of it. Everyone should just watch the original.
The Raid director Gareth Huw Evans has shared the first concept art from his latest project Berandal on Twitter.
The drawing shows a slim girl in a short dress and large stylish sunglasses, looking pretty dangerous with a hammer in her left hand. Think Oldboy meets Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
It is a much better drawing than Evans himself managed on a tablet computer, posting it online with the tagline: “This is a pretty clear example of why I rarely do storyboards…”
Evans is re-teaming with Iko Uwais – star of his earlier film Merantau – for the upcoming project. Uwais plays the main character Rama and the script has only recently been completed.
Early in August Evans wrote: “About two paragraphs of stage direction and a few lines of dialogue away from finishing the Berandal script. Won’t be tonight though. No matter how tempting, my brain is mush right now. So time to sleep and get it done right in the morning.”
The movie should also have a ton of action, according to its director/scriptwriter. “Last count has me at 18 fight scenes in Berandal. Fun fun fun!” he said on Twitter, noting that with “a very loose definition of the term fight/action scene (inc any scene where shots are fired) The Raid had 11 action scenes.” More action than The Raid? Count us in.
Evans has already shot some footage to show backers what the mood of Berandel will be like and has also released a full plot synopsis. The story opens as Rama, a young man in his mid-20s, sits on a toilet looking down at his feet contemplating how he ended up in prison. Once a food stall seller, a fit of rage cost him his freedom, his liberty and the love of his fiancé Dwi.
Locked up for five years after leaving the person who attacked Dwi paralysed, Rama arrives in a maximum-security prison alone and is taken in by Uco, the son of a leading gangster, Bangun. Initially at war with each other, their friendship is sealed after Rama foils an attempt on Uco’s life. When Rama starts a new life five years later he is taken in by Uco’s underworld organisation.
As Uco makes plans to assume control of his father’s organisation, the pair’s friendship is tested to breaking point following a downward spiral of murder, betrayal and corruption. Every move Rama makes will test his loyalty, every decision will change his path leading him further into the violence and bloodshed he is so desperate, yet so powerless to escape.
Fans of Evans’ gritty-yet-stylish work should also be aware that his first feature film Footsteps has just been released on DVD in the UK. The director admits it has been “renamed & repackaged quite a bit,” and is now called Vengeance Day.
Spike Lee is directing an American remake of the Korean classic Oldboy. The original Oldboy film by Chan-wook Park is based on the mange by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi. The story follows an everyday man who is imprisoned in a room for 15 years; once released with no explanation, he has only five days to find his captor.
Elizabeth Olson (Silent House) and Josh Brolin (Men in Black 3) are set to star in the remake. The film is currently in pre-production and has no set release date.
