Remake Round Up

February 4, 2003

The Movie Industry is increasingly averse to taking risks, and when it costs an average of nearly $80 million to produce, distribute and market a movie, who can blame them? One way the studios use to reduce risk is to remake older movies and here’s some of the next batch or remakes the studios are rolling out.
Note: Some of these movies are wrapped up and ready to be released, others are still in the, ‘Idea and a Dream’ phase of the production. Also note, release dates can change often and without warning.

Cradle 2 the Grave: IMDB is reporting this is a remake of the Fritz Lang’s M which starred Peter Lorre. Having seen M and the trailer to this Jet Li / DMX action thriller I fail to see any connection at all. Perhaps when it opens February 28th we’ll learn more about the connection. If reports are true, it will be the third remake of M.

Willard: Remake of the 1971 cult-classic of the same name. This update stars Crispin Glover as the title character who has an affinity with rats. The trailer is one of the most effective trailers I’ve seen recently and I’m eagerly awaiting it’s March 14th release date.

The Good Thief: Remake of the 1955 French film Bob le Flambeur (Bob the Gambler). Nick Nolte stars as an aging gambler on a losing streak who attempts to rob the casino where he gambles. Opens April 4th.

The Wedding Party: Remake of the 1979 Peter Falk and Alan Arkin comedy The In-Laws. This time around staring Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks, as soon to be Father in-laws. Both actors each have another movie opening around the same time as the Wedding Party. Douglas stars in It Runs in the Family and Brooks stars in Pixar’s Finding Nemo. The Wedding Party opens May 23rd.

The Italian Job: Remake of the 1969 Michael Caine crime capper classic of the same name, this time around staring Mark Wahlberg. This will be the third remake in the past four movies for Wahlberg. In a strange twist, the remake will not be set in Italy, but L.A. instead. Opens May 30th.

The Party: Remake of the Peter Sellers comedy about a film extra accidentally being invited to hot Hollywood party. Still in the rumor stage, and rumor has it Mike Myers will trying and fill Peter Sellers comedic shoes.

Logan’s Run: This remake has been in the works since 1996. William F. Nolan, who co-wrote the novel, wrote a treatment in 1996 and hopes the remake will be truer to the novel than the 1976 original.

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Source: IMDB

Filed under: Cradle 2 the Grave, It Runs in the Family