The Rise and Fall of the Oldboy Remake

At first it was announced that Steven Spielberg and Will Smith would remake the Korean film, Oldboy. It seemed impossible that Hollywood could do it justice.

Previously it was Justin Lin who said he would attempt the remake. That was, at least, a better choice but can the film really be remade and be better?

Chan Wook-Park’s film Oldboy has attained cult status. The twist ending in particular is the topic of much discussion on the internet.

Oldboy tells the story of a man who is held in a private prison for fifteen years never knowing who is captor is or the reason behind his kidnapping. He’s released and given a mobile phone, money and some clothes. He sets out to discover his captor and gain revenge for 15 years lost.

Apparently, according to Variety, Steven Spielberg and Will Smith were in early negotiations with Universal Studios.

Now, according to Latino Review, the two production companies, Mandate and DreamWorks just didn’t agree and they’ve walked away from the deal, that includes Steven Spielberg and Will Smith.

That’s the second time it has been scrapped, the first being Justin Lin. To many who see Hollywood’s remakes of asian films as a constant watering down and bastardization of the originals, this is welcome news. I can not see Will Smith in the role. Would I have watched it? Yes, out of sheer curiosity.