Park Chan-Wook Directing Sci-Fi 'Second Born'; Shawn Levy to Helm 'Forty Thieves'

Park Chan-Wook, the acclaimed South Korean director behind Oldboy, Thirst, Stoker, and a producer on Snowpiercer, is sticking with the sci-fi genre for Second Born. Penned by David Jagernauth, the story takes place in a futuristic society in which one's consciousness can be stored in neural microchip implants, leading to all kinds of black market body-swapping. It's a big deal any time Chan-Wook takes on a new project, so color me excited for this one. [Variety]

On the other end of the spectrum is Shawn Levy, the guy behind all three Night at the Museum movies. He's sticking with the stuff of historical legend for his next film, Forty Thieves, an updated take on "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves". Apparently the project, described as similar to Guardians of the Galaxy (uhhh, what?) is far enough along that he's already begun testing for the lead role with Evan Peters (X-men: Days of Future Past), Liam Hemsworth (Paranoia), and Dan Stevens (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) all vying for it. To Levy's credit he's good at this sort of film, and he is a director that's hard to pin down. He also was at the helm for Real Steel and recently led the ensemble dramedy, This is Where I Leave You. [TheWrap]

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Park Chan-wook Returns Home to Direct 'Fingersmith' Adaptation

There was a great deal of anticipation, at least among cinephiles, for Park Chan-wook's English language debut, Stoker. But the star-studded film, a sortof modern Gothic horror, didn't really click with anybody and was pretty much forgotten about despite the director's stylish touches. Of course, it didn't get a ton of promotion, either, and maybe that's why Chan-wook is headed back home to Korea for his next film, an adaptation of Sarah Waters' crime novel, Fingersmith.

Screen Daily reports Chan-wook will make his first Korean film in six years with Fingersmith, which was set in Victorian London and followed a group of female petty thieves, known as "fingersmiths". Chan-wook's version will be different, taking place in Korea during the time of Japanese rule. An English title for the film has yet to be decided but it'll go by Agashi in Korea.

Chan-wook's movies have typically been a solid launching pad for actresses and the hope is to cast two female leads that can follow in their footsteps. Filming is to begin early next year, but if you're interested in a taste of the story, the BBC produced a Fingersmith miniseries back in 2005 that starred Sally Hawkins and Imelda Staunton.

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Sure Shots: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Park Chan-Wook; Rosamund Pike

* Philip Seymour Hoffman isn't just one of the finest actors working today, he's also making inroads as a director. He made his directorial debut a couple of years ago with Jack Goes Boating, which nobody saw but was a nice dramatic character piece. Now he's moving on to his next project, the Depression-era ghost story Ezekiel Moss. Based on a Black List script by Keith Bunim, the film follows an imaginative small town boy who befriends a drifter who may have the ability to speak with the dead. Hoffman is coming off well-deserved praise for his performance in The Master, which opens in more theaters this weekend. [Variety]

* Looks like South Korean director Park Chan-Wook(Oldboy) won't be leaving Hollywood anytime soon. With his English-language debut, Stoker, already wrapped and his stint co-writing Snow Piercer with Bong Joon-Ho, the director is now turning to another project which will keep him in the U.S. for awhile longer. He's set to helm the long-gestating crime drama, Corsica '72. Written by James Bond franchise scribes, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the story follows two friends living very different lives on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. One lives a life of crime, the other takes a more honest avenue, but they come at odds over their mutual love interest, Lucia. The film will likely shoot before The Brigands of Rattleborge, the western Chan-Wook signed on for last month. [Variety]

* Wow, Rosamund Pike is everywhere all of a sudden. She'll be turning up alongside Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher this December. She's currently filming The World's End with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and she just agreed to join the former in Hector and the Search for Happiness. Now she and veteran actor Sam Neill are joining the cast of A Long Way Down, an adaptation of the Nick Hornby novel and directed by Pacal Chaumeil. Already starring Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots, the story follows four strangers who end up on the same rooftop on New Year's Eve, all with the same plan to commit suicide. [Variety]

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Clive Owen, Mia Wasikowska offered roles in Spike Lee's 'Oldboy' remake

Spike Lee and producer Roy Lee aren't stretching too far to find stars for their remake of Oldboy. With Josh Brolin already on board for the lead role of a man held captive in a hotel room for 15 years under mysterious circumstances, they next sought out Colin Firth for the "villain" role. Firth had been up to play a similar part in Stoker, the English-language debut from Park Chan-Wook, who just so happened to be the director behind the amazing South Korean version. But now two more stars are being eyed for parts, and they too have close-knit ties to Lee and Chan-Wook.

Twitch came out the box with both stories, stating that that Clive Owen and Mia Wasikowska are in talks to join the film. Owen would be taking on the bad guy role turned down by Firth, and in my mind that's a lateral move, although Owen might add a touch more physicality to it. Owen starred in Spike Lee's most commercially successful film, Inside Man, as a character nearly as complicated as he would be playing in Oldboy.

Wasikowska would be taking on the role of Marie, and since I definitely don't want to give away any of the film's awesome twists, I'll just say she's extremely integral to the revenge plot at the center of the story. Wasikowska just wrapped filming on Stoker, so she too has close ties to Chan-Wook. It would be her first time working with Lee, however. No word on whether she or Owen have accepted the offers as of yet, but hopefully that will happen in the next few days.

I'm still hearing more whining from people about this remake being done at all, but look at the talent they are trying to assemble for it. Josh Brolin, and now possibly Wasikowska and Owen. If this was any other film we'd be talking about it as a potential Oscar contender. With writer Mark Protosevich aiming for a "darker" story(how is that even possible??), Oldboy is shaping up to possibly be on par with the original.

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Colin Firth turns down offer for Spike Lee's Oldboy remake

Well, this is what happens when you cover the "offer story". Colin Firth has turned down a chance to star in Spike Lee's planned remake of Oldboy, according to Twitch. No reason was given for the refusal, but I'm just gonna guess it was due to his already busy schedule. This makes two villainous roles in a row he's turned down, ironically both having to do with South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-Wook.

Firth would've been up for the role of Adrian, the man who kicks things into motion by kidnapping Josh Brolin's character and holding him captive for 15 years before releasing him suddenly. It's all part of a complicated, very personal vengeance he's seeking, one that I wouldn't dare spoil here. Watch the original if you're curious, although you should note that the remake script by Mark Protosevich might alter a few details.

Oldboy was initially a popular and very violent manga created by Nobuaki Minegishi, but it's the South Korean film adaptation by Park Chan-Wook that most people swear by. His English language debut, Stoker, also features a bad guy role which Colin Firth had initially been attached to, but he had to drop out and was replaced by his A Single Man co-star, Matthew Goode.

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Colin Firth to play the baddie in Spike Lee's Oldboy remake?

Now that everybody's hopefully gotten over being pissed that we're getting an American remake of Oldboy, can we all just acknowledge that a hell of a job is being done to make sure it'll be awesome? Spike Lee as director is a damn fine start. Josh Brolin in the lead role is an inspired choice, but how about if he went up against Colin Firth in what be his most sadistic role ever?

It could happen, as Twitch reports The King's Speech star has been offered the villain role in the vengeance flick, playing the man behind the kidnapping and imprisonment of the protagonist for fifteen years. If you've ever seen Park Chan-Wook's twisted classic, try to imagine that insane finale being played out by Brolin and Firth. Pretty sick, right?

This is just an offer, so there's no guarantee that Firth will take it. It would be kinda ironic, though, considering Firth recently had to drop out of Stoker, the English language debut by Chan-Wook, in which he would've played the supposed bad guy. Funny how things turn out.

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Josh Brolin confirmed for Spike Lee's Oldboy

After deriding the planned remake of Park Chan-Wook's masterful revenge thriller, Oldboy, my thoughts quickly changed when Spike Lee came aboard as director. Hey, if it's gonna go down, might as well have a director known for pushing boundaries, and Spike is definitely that guy. It wasn't long after that we heard the first whispers of possible casting, with Josh Brolin at the top of everybody's wishlist. Now more than a month later, we have our confirmation that Brolin will star in the film.
 The script will be written by Mark Protosevich, and will be based in part on the original manga and Chan-Wook's film. The film centers on a man mysteriously kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years without any clue as to why. Then just as randomly as the initial assault, he's set free, and discovers that the reasons for his kidnapping run deep. He of course goes off in search of answers and revenge. Oldboy is the jewel of Chan-Wook's acclaimed "Vengeance Trilogy", all of which are excellent.

I said last month Brolin had more than the power and presence for the role, and I continue to agree with myself. Oldboy also calls for a really juicy villain, so here's hoping somebody of equal stature can land that. There's speculation that Christian Bale may be the guy, which would be pretty awesome.

The hope is for shooting to being next March, so that leaves plenty of time for Brolin to finish up on Gangster Squad, and for Lee to wrap up his Do the Right Thing follow-up, Red Hook Summer. [Deadline]

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Spike Lee officially directing remake of Oldboy

Days like this don't come often for many filmmakers, but even less often for a guy like Spike Lee, who has had no shortage of difficulty finding work despite his status as one of the greats. Earlier today we learned that Lee had started shooting on a film he'd been hiding from us, Red Hook Summer, in which he'll be reprising his role as Mookie from 1989's Do The Right Thing. And now today we get confirmation on a story from last week, that Lee will indeed be directing the remake of Park Chan-Wook's classic revenge thriller, Oldboy.

Mandate Pictures issued the press release, which doesn't say much we didn't already know. Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule will be producing, along with Vertigo Entertainment. The highly regarded script we heard about from Mark Protosevich is still in play, and there's absolutely no mention of Will Smith or Steven Spielberg, who appear to be definitely out of the picture. The story revolves around a man kidnapped and held captive in a hotel room for 15 years without any idea as to why. When he's released one day under the same shroud of mystery, he goes off in pursuit of his kidnappers.

I still have a real problem with Oldboy being remade for American audiences. People still need to take in the glory that is the South Korean original first. But if it's going to get done, I'd rather it be Lee who does it. Other than Inside Man, the vast majority of his movies don't quite make the mainstream, so it'll be interesting to see whether such an uber violent remake of a foreign film can do it.

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Spike Lee to direct remake of Oldboy?

So my hopes that the Will Smith-starring remake of the classic revenge thriller, Oldboy, was dead were dashed a few months ago. I wasn't happy about it. South Korean director Park Chan-Wook created a kinetic, thrilling masterpiece, that was equal parts mystery and violent action. American audiences should be seeking it out, not crafting half-hearted remakes. Even with Steven Spielberg involved, I don't trust it won't be watered down in some way. Whatever. I'll deal. The only thing to hope for now is that somebody compitent will direct it. According to Twitch, that man may just be Spike Lee.

They report that the often controversial director of such greats as Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and School Daze(hey, I love it) is in talks for the film. There's not much more info than that right now, but really do we need anything more? Lee would make an inspired choice, who will likely stick close to the manga source material. The story circles around a man who is imprisoned for 15 years in a hotel room without any clue as to why, until one day he is set free, again without reason. He goes off on a hunt for his captors, but finds himself caught in a web of conspiracy.  If you haven't seen it, put at the top of your Netflix queue immediately. It's the second leg of a trilogy, known as The Vengeance Trilogy. Heck, just buy them all.

If movement has progressed to the point where directors are in talks, could this have been the reason why Will Smith backed out of doing Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained? Two ultra violent movies so close together might have been more than the typically family-oriented actor was willing to take on.

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Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth in talks for Park Chan-Wook's 'Stoker'

As if the prospect of Park Chan-Wook(The Vengeance Trilogy, Thirst) making his English-language directorial debut wasn't enticing enough, the idea that he could be working with two of the best performers in the country only makes it even more promising.  The LA Times is reporting that Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth are both in talks to join Stoker, which as previously noted is about a teenager dealing with the arrival of a mysterious uncle to spend time with his family.  I love how vague and ominous the plot sounds, which I'm sure is completely intentional.

The idea and script were hammered out by Prison Break's Wentworth Miller, with Mia Wasikowska already locked in as the teenager. Firth will likely play the creepy uncle, while Kidman will be Wasikowska's mother.

That's a pretty powerful threesome. Both Kidman and Firth will be potential Oscar winners by the time this movie ever gets off the ground. Kidman is up for Best Actress for her role in Rabbit Hole, while Firth is the odds on favorite to take home the Best Actor gold for The King's Speech.

One of the best things about Korean film is their unpredictability. You never know what direction they're going to take. Part of that is a cultural divide, but I think moreso they have a creative freedom we don't often see here anymore. I hope Park Chan-Wook can maintain that level of freedom while still working on what's quickly becoming a high profile film.

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Oldboy....No More!!!!

Na na na na....na na na na...hey hey hey...goodbye! Those who follow the site know that I've been fearing and dreading Steven Spielberg and Will Smith's efforts to remake the classic Korean revenge flick, Oldboy. Oldboy is one of the best films of the last ten years, and it deserves to be seen in it's original form, not as a bland remake with a questionable lead like Smith. Well it looks like my prayers have been answered. LatinoReview is reporting that the deal between Dreamworks and Mandate, owners of the Oldboy manga rights, has fallen through. No word as to why, but I'm sure it has to do with how much money Dreamworks wanted out of any profits earned.

Before I get too excited, I'm not totally convinced this is the end of it. Mandate has ever right to proceed with finding another studio to partner with on an American remake, and I'm sure there will be others interested. But for now, this is cause for celebration! ::dances a jig::

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