https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/261202/46_movie_remakes_and_reboots_currently_in_the_works.html
Videodrome
David Cronenberg’s 80s classic remakes a favourite of its kind, and predictably that’s led to shudders from its fans when they heard about the plans for a big budget remake. Granted, the film’s plot line has proven to be extremely prescient, but does it need to be a big mix of science fiction and action? That’s apparently the brief for screenwriter Ehren Kruger, who served on Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and Scream 3. Mr Cronenberg is not attached to the film in any way.
Barbarella
With Robert Rodriguez passing on the opportunity to direct a remake of Barbarella, there’s a new director currently attached to the project. Robert Luketic, who helmed, er, Monster-In-Law (as well as 21 and Legally Blonde), has been signed up, although whether Rose McGowan will take the leading role still has yet to be confirmed. We suspect, though, that with a director on board, a decision on that is coming very shortly, and we’d be surprised if she stays attached.
Guys And Dolls
Here’s an odd one. The 1955 movie of the musical Guys And Dolls starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, and it’s now attracting the remake attention of one Mr Guy Ritchie. That’s if the latest reports are to be believed. The plan would be to relocate the story to London, with Ritchie behind the camera, once he’s done with Sherlock Holmes, presumably. We’ll be fascinated to see if this one comes to fruition.
Highlander
Iron Man writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcum have been linked now with producing a script for a remake of Highlander, but with Summit Entertainment’s slate full of Twilight movies at the moment, it’s hard to find space for it. Dog Soldiers’ Kevin McKidd has been linked with the lead role, and the latest on the project is an attempt to persuade Summit to shoot the film in Scotland. Chances of the film leaving development hell in the near future aren’t strong, yet a remake of the film at some point is surely all but a certainty.
Mona Lisa
Neil Jordan’s terrific 1986 film Mona Lisa is being touted for the remake treatment, and Mickey Rourke is being lined up to step into Bob Hoskins’ shoes. Casino Royale’s Eva Green is also being touted for the film, which is set to be directed by Larry Clark. Expect production on this one to get going shortly.
Alien
The plan here is to make a prequel to the original film, but there’s a clear intention here to reboot the franchise too in the aftermath of the spectacularly bollocks AvP films. Carl Rinch will be directing, with the full blessing of both Tony and Ridley Scott it seems.
Fletch
There are reports circulating that The Weinstein Company has got a script together for a reboot of the Fletch franchise, which the company is apparently trying to lure Chevy Chase to get involved in somewhere along the lines. It’s not the first talk of a Fletch reboot, granted (Kevin Smith tried to get one off the ground), but the project still lacks a director as things stand. Chase has thus far not commented on the movie, although it seems that the Weinsteins are keen to get it moving.
Flight Of The Navigator
Disney has announced that it’s going to be taking a fresh look at its popular 1980s kids’ sci-fi flick, with the original’s executive producer, John Hyde, part of the team charged with returning it to the big screen. Brad Copeland has been hired to write the script, with his mixed CV offering Wild Hogs on the one hand, with episodes of Arrested Development and My Name Is Earl on the other. Look for the film in the next couple of years. Unless it can somehow be stopped…
Cliffhanger
If they can reboot Star Trek, argues producer Neil Moritz, they can do the same with Cliffhanger. You wonder just where he’s beamed in from. Cliffhanger is a fine standalone action picture, but now Moritz wants more, and the hunt is on for a writer to take a fresh look at the franchise. Don’t expect Mr Stallone or original director, Renny Harlin, to be on board.
Judge Dredd
It was announced at the end of 2008 that a brand new Judge Dredd movie was due to go into production this year. And while we’ve seen no sign of the cameras being readied, nor of a cast being put into place, both Rebellion and DNA Films have the project firmly on their respective rosters. Again, no Stallone this time, and no fresh news has emerged since that first announcement. We can’t wait to hear more…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Plans are afoot to reboot the live action big screen adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with the plan apparently to employ facial technology to make the main characters themselves seem a little bit more realistic. Ahem. Faithfulness to the comic books is also on the agenda.
Daredevil
The news on this one seems good thus far. Marvel is believed to be rebooting the idea of a Daredevil big screen franchise, with Ben Affleck and director Mark Steven Johnson nowhere to be seen this time round. The plan currently suggests that Katee Sackhoff may be in the running to play ex-Daredevil love and now villain Typhoid Mary, but that’s all subject to rumour this far. The earliest we’d expect the film is 2011.
Tomb Raider
Lara Croft is returning to the big screen for a third time, but just as the gaming series was – with limited success – rebooted, so the movies are to be too. That means that Angelina Jolie won’t be taking on the title role this time round, leaving hotly-tipped favourite Megan Fox at the front of the queue. There’s no formal word on that either, short of producer Dan Lin confirming that the film is in development.
Predators
Robert Rodriguez is behind the scenes for the now-in-production rebooting of the Predator series. The screenplay is being penned by Alex Litvak, and an ambitious release date of July 7th, 2010 has already been inked into the calendar. No word on casting, or whether Rodriguez himself will direct.
True Grit
The Coen Brothers are taking on the film that bagged John Wayne an Oscar, as the pair are looking to bring a fresh take on True Grit to the big screen. Their version is said to veer from the source book a little more, with the focus of the story switching to the 14-year-old girl who hunts down the killer of her father. The Coen Brothers are penning the script for the film, which is expected to film soon.
The Party
The Blake Edwards comedy is in production, with Jonathan Kesselman helming a fresh take on the Peter Sellers vehicle. The plan is to include an abundance of Hollywood cameos, apparently, and the script is being penned by Jim Russo, Brandon Gibson and producer Marco Garibaldi. No word on a start date yet.
X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes
MGM has put onto its slate a film based around the 1963 Roger Corman original. It’s very much in the early stages right now, but Juan Carlos Fresnadillo – the man who wielded the megaphone on 28 Weeks Later – is the planned director.
Lady Vengeance
Plans are afoot to set up an English-language remake of Chan-wook Park’s Lady Vengeance, although the latest we heard on the project, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle had turned the job down. No further news on a director has emerged, although the project appears to be far from dead.
The Crazies
George A Romero’s The Crazies is now in the hands of director Breck Eisner (Sahara). His cast includes Joe Anderson, Timothy Olyphant and Danielle Panabaker, with Romero picking up an executive producer credit. Scott Kosar and Ray Wright have written the new script. Look for it in February 2010.
Creature From The Black Lagoon
Talking of director Breck Eisner, he’s now dropped out of the planned remake of Creature From The Black Lagoon. Based on the 1954 original, the new version has been written by Gary Ross, whose dad was one of the writers on the first film. The search for a new director has thus begun, but it’s still a project very much on the front burner.
Total Recall
The 1990 Arnie film is possibly ripe for a remake, with Columbia Pictures and producer Neal H Moritz keen to revisit the film. Based on the Philip K ^^^^ story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Total Recall proved to be a sizeable global hit on its original release, and while things have been quiet since the original announcement, news now reaches us that a screenwriter has been chosen. Kurt Wimmer is the man currently glued to his word processor, and once his script is complete, we suspect the project will move forward again.
And Soon The Darkness
The original isn’t a widely known thriller, that first hit screens back in 1970. Set in Argentina, the remake has attracted the acting talents of Karl Urban and Adriana Barraza, and Marcos Efron will be making his big screen directing debut behind the camera. It’s unclear when we can expect the finished film, however.
The Thing
It seems that virtually every John Carpenter film has either been remade now, or linked with a remake. The latest is The Thing, which has finally got a director attached. The original remains one of the most unnerving films of the 80s. The new film will look into the first discovery of the alien, with Ron Moore writing the script and Matthijs Van Heijningen directing.
The Shadow
This writer quite liked Alec Baldwin and Russell Mulchaly’s 1990s take on The Shadow. It was no masterpiece, but it was, nonetheless, a bit of a hoot. Producer Michael Uslan, however, is bringing the franchise back to the silver screen, and he’s apparently working closer to the comic book and radio series roots of the character. No cast or director has yet been announced.
The Phantom
Brought to the screen in 1996 with Billy Zane hiding behind the purple mask, the attempt to make a major blockbuster franchise out of The Phantom wasn’t, it’s fair to say, a successful one. However, writer Tim Boyle is hard at work on penning a remake/reboot that will take a fresh look at the character. No word on Zane’s involvement, but this might be one of those cases where a fresh cast really wouldn’t hurt…
Romancing The Stone
The original was one of the finest action adventures of the 1980s, with the union of director Robert Zemeckis and stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner very much a successful one. None of them, however, appear to be anywhere near Fox’s planned remake of the film, which is currently being written by Daniel McDermott. When his script is complete, we suspect we shall know more…
The Crow
Stephen Norrington – he of Blade and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen fame – has been linked with a reboot of The Crow franchise. Norrington hasn’t directed a film since LXG, and he’ll also be penning the script, based on James O’Barr’s comic. Original director Alex Proyas, who last helmed Nicolas Cage in Knowing, is not believed to be involved.
Masters Of The Universe
Dolph Lungdren starred in the 1980s original (along with Frank Langella!), and now Warner Bros has pulled together writer Justin Marks and Kung Fu Panda director John Stevenson for a brand new take on Masters Of The Universe. No firm dates have been inked, nor is there any sign of a casting announcement for He-Man. But the intention is to produce a big budget film, with one eye no doubt on the merchandising…
Fantastic Four
You might need to take this one with a pinch of salt, but Marvel hasn’t been shy thus far about quickly rebooting franchises if it felt that was required. The two Fantastic Four movies didn’t do bad business, but it would have hoped for more from Marvel’s First Family. As such, there are rumours that Marvel is considering a complete reboot for the franchise, that’ll see it take a little bit a of a darker edge this time round.
Slap Shot
Dean Parisot gave the world the sublime Galaxy Quest, a film that many of us would dearly love to get a sequel to. However, he’s currently focusing his energies on remaking the classic sports flick, Slap Shot. The 1977 original starred Paul Newman, but there’s no word yet on who’ll be getting their sticks out for the new version. We do know that screenwriter Peter Steinfeld is attached and penning a screenplay.
Evil Dead
As part of the promotional tour for his acclaimed return to horror, Drag Me To Hell, director Sam Raimi expressed his enthusiasm for an Evil Dead remake. He’s said that he’d like to bring in a new and young director to have a bash at the project, but that’s about as far as the details go right about now. We suspect Mr Raimi may be quite busy with the fourth big screen outing for Spider-Man, anyway…
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Currently shooting ahead of a release in April 2010, the Nightmare Of Elm Street remake comes from the Platinum Dune home of remake joy. Taking over as Freddy Krueger is Jackie Earle Haley, and the supporting cast includes Clancy Brown. Samuel Bayer is directing.
Clash Of The Titans
Louis Leterrier, last seen calling the shots on The Incredible Hulk, is hard at work on the remake of Clash Of The Titans, which is scheduled for release in March 2010. In the cast are Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Gemma Arterton.
Tell No One
Based on the book by Harlan Coben, the French take on Tell No One was a cracking thriller, right up until its silly last reel. Still, they’re going to be taking another bash at it, as Miramax and Focus Features are joining together to make an English language version. Due to shoot in the first half of next year, the film will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, but no further casting or crew details have thus far emerged.
Drop Dead Fred
The Rik Mayall vehicle Drop Dead Fred is a love it or hate it movie (count this writer in the latter camp, I’m afraid), and now it’s being developed as a potential vehicle for comedian Russell Brand. The new version of the film is being written by Dennis McNicholas, who undertook scribing duties on this summer’s Land Of The Lost, but there’s no firm word on when cameras will be rolling.
Arthur
Another comedy that’s being potentially regurgitated as a vehicle for comedian Russell Brand. It’s still in the early stages, with discussions with writers being the last word that emerged from the project. Hollywood certainly seems keen to give Brand a few leading roles, though…
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
The 1980s teen comedy starring Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker is proving the template for a remake currently in the works at 20th Century Fox. Thus far, a screenwriter has been hired, with Michelle Morgan being employed to write the script. It’s understood that Miley Cyrus is being wooed to star in the film.
Piranha 3-D
The Hills Have Eyes remake director Alexandre Aja is calling the shots right now on a remake of Piranha 3-D. The cast features Richard Dreyfuss, Jerry O’Connell and Elizabeth Shue, and it’s set for release in March 2010.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
It’s not entirely clear whether this is a remake of sorts or a reboot, but the director of the original-and-not-very-good Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie, Fran Rubel Kuzui, is planning a new take on her 1992 movie. Kuzui had some input into the TV series, but the next big screen Buffy will bear no relation to the show. Kuzui has another film to make first, and then her attention is likely to shift full time to Buffy in around a year, we’d guess. Joss Whedon remains uninvolved in the project.
Footloose
This has been flitting around in development hell for some time, but Paramount has now greenlit the remake of 80s hit Footloose, and has cast Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl fame to star in the film. It’s being directed by Kenny Ortega, the man we have to thank for directing three High School Musical movies. Cheers, Kenny. The film is set to start shooting in March of 2010.
Conan
The latest on the planned Conan remake/reboot has seen potential director Brett Ratner move away from the project, with the rumoured helmer now likely to be V For Vendetta’s James McTeigue. We know that it’ll be going back to the origin of the stories rather than drawing too much influence from the films, and there’s still a plan to have it in cinemas at some point next year.
Straw Dogs
This one’s got a release date of 13th August 2010 already inked in, and James Marsden will be stepping into the Dustin Hoffman role. Rod Lurie, the director of Nothing But The Truth, The Last Castle and The Contender, is taking the director’s chair, and has also penned the screenplay. Shooting is set to start in August.
Red Dawn
September 24th 2010 is the day that the remake of Red Dawn is expected to roll into cinemas. Chris Hemsworth – currently lined up to play Thor, and also the man who played George Kirk in the Star Trek reboot – has nabbed the leading role, while Dan Bradley makes his directorial debut with the project. Bradley has previously done second unit work on Quantum Of Solace, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull and The Bourne Ultimatum, among many others.
Fright Night
DreamWorks has put a remake of Fright Night into production, although it hasn’t yet announced a writer or director for the project. Reportedly keen to stay close to the feel of the 1980s original, the producers of the picture are set to be Michael De Luca, Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig. Our guess would be that it’s keen to get the film into cinemas while the trend for remaking old horror movies is still hot. 2011 or even late 2010 would be a decent guess.
Mother’s Day
One of Troma’s many memorable horror hits is getting the remake treatment, courtesy of Saw II-IV and Repo: The Genetic Opera director Darren Lynn Bousman. From a script by Scott Milam, the idea is to have the new film ready for Mother’s Day 2010. Do you see what they did there? Jay Stern and – yes! – Brett Ratner are producing.
The Mechanic
Jodie Foster effectively remade Death Wish with The Brave One a year or two back, and now another Charles Bronson movie is coming to the big screen again. Bronson made The Mechanic in 1972, and its original producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff are signed up for the remake. Original director Michael Winner is nowhere to be found, and thus Con Air’s Simon West is stepping into the director’s chair. Jason Statham is set to star, and a 2010 release is planned.
Videodrome
David Cronenberg’s 80s classic remakes a favourite of its kind, and predictably that’s led to shudders from its fans when they heard about the plans for a big budget remake. Granted, the film’s plot line has proven to be extremely prescient, but does it need to be a big mix of science fiction and action? That’s apparently the brief for screenwriter Ehren Kruger, who served on Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen and Scream 3. Mr Cronenberg is not attached to the film in any way.
Barbarella
With Robert Rodriguez passing on the opportunity to direct a remake of Barbarella, there’s a new director currently attached to the project. Robert Luketic, who helmed, er, Monster-In-Law (as well as 21 and Legally Blonde), has been signed up, although whether Rose McGowan will take the leading role still has yet to be confirmed. We suspect, though, that with a director on board, a decision on that is coming very shortly, and we’d be surprised if she stays attached.
Guys And Dolls
Here’s an odd one. The 1955 movie of the musical Guys And Dolls starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, and it’s now attracting the remake attention of one Mr Guy Ritchie. That’s if the latest reports are to be believed. The plan would be to relocate the story to London, with Ritchie behind the camera, once he’s done with Sherlock Holmes, presumably. We’ll be fascinated to see if this one comes to fruition.
Highlander
Iron Man writers Matt Holloway and Art Marcum have been linked now with producing a script for a remake of Highlander, but with Summit Entertainment’s slate full of Twilight movies at the moment, it’s hard to find space for it. Dog Soldiers’ Kevin McKidd has been linked with the lead role, and the latest on the project is an attempt to persuade Summit to shoot the film in Scotland. Chances of the film leaving development hell in the near future aren’t strong, yet a remake of the film at some point is surely all but a certainty.
Mona Lisa
Neil Jordan’s terrific 1986 film Mona Lisa is being touted for the remake treatment, and Mickey Rourke is being lined up to step into Bob Hoskins’ shoes. Casino Royale’s Eva Green is also being touted for the film, which is set to be directed by Larry Clark. Expect production on this one to get going shortly.
Alien
The plan here is to make a prequel to the original film, but there’s a clear intention here to reboot the franchise too in the aftermath of the spectacularly bollocks AvP films. Carl Rinch will be directing, with the full blessing of both Tony and Ridley Scott it seems.
Fletch
There are reports circulating that The Weinstein Company has got a script together for a reboot of the Fletch franchise, which the company is apparently trying to lure Chevy Chase to get involved in somewhere along the lines. It’s not the first talk of a Fletch reboot, granted (Kevin Smith tried to get one off the ground), but the project still lacks a director as things stand. Chase has thus far not commented on the movie, although it seems that the Weinsteins are keen to get it moving.
Flight Of The Navigator
Disney has announced that it’s going to be taking a fresh look at its popular 1980s kids’ sci-fi flick, with the original’s executive producer, John Hyde, part of the team charged with returning it to the big screen. Brad Copeland has been hired to write the script, with his mixed CV offering Wild Hogs on the one hand, with episodes of Arrested Development and My Name Is Earl on the other. Look for the film in the next couple of years. Unless it can somehow be stopped…
Cliffhanger
If they can reboot Star Trek, argues producer Neil Moritz, they can do the same with Cliffhanger. You wonder just where he’s beamed in from. Cliffhanger is a fine standalone action picture, but now Moritz wants more, and the hunt is on for a writer to take a fresh look at the franchise. Don’t expect Mr Stallone or original director, Renny Harlin, to be on board.
Judge Dredd
It was announced at the end of 2008 that a brand new Judge Dredd movie was due to go into production this year. And while we’ve seen no sign of the cameras being readied, nor of a cast being put into place, both Rebellion and DNA Films have the project firmly on their respective rosters. Again, no Stallone this time, and no fresh news has emerged since that first announcement. We can’t wait to hear more…
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Plans are afoot to reboot the live action big screen adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with the plan apparently to employ facial technology to make the main characters themselves seem a little bit more realistic. Ahem. Faithfulness to the comic books is also on the agenda.
Daredevil
The news on this one seems good thus far. Marvel is believed to be rebooting the idea of a Daredevil big screen franchise, with Ben Affleck and director Mark Steven Johnson nowhere to be seen this time round. The plan currently suggests that Katee Sackhoff may be in the running to play ex-Daredevil love and now villain Typhoid Mary, but that’s all subject to rumour this far. The earliest we’d expect the film is 2011.
Tomb Raider
Lara Croft is returning to the big screen for a third time, but just as the gaming series was – with limited success – rebooted, so the movies are to be too. That means that Angelina Jolie won’t be taking on the title role this time round, leaving hotly-tipped favourite Megan Fox at the front of the queue. There’s no formal word on that either, short of producer Dan Lin confirming that the film is in development.
Predators
Robert Rodriguez is behind the scenes for the now-in-production rebooting of the Predator series. The screenplay is being penned by Alex Litvak, and an ambitious release date of July 7th, 2010 has already been inked into the calendar. No word on casting, or whether Rodriguez himself will direct.
True Grit
The Coen Brothers are taking on the film that bagged John Wayne an Oscar, as the pair are looking to bring a fresh take on True Grit to the big screen. Their version is said to veer from the source book a little more, with the focus of the story switching to the 14-year-old girl who hunts down the killer of her father. The Coen Brothers are penning the script for the film, which is expected to film soon.
The Party
The Blake Edwards comedy is in production, with Jonathan Kesselman helming a fresh take on the Peter Sellers vehicle. The plan is to include an abundance of Hollywood cameos, apparently, and the script is being penned by Jim Russo, Brandon Gibson and producer Marco Garibaldi. No word on a start date yet.
X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes
MGM has put onto its slate a film based around the 1963 Roger Corman original. It’s very much in the early stages right now, but Juan Carlos Fresnadillo – the man who wielded the megaphone on 28 Weeks Later – is the planned director.
Lady Vengeance
Plans are afoot to set up an English-language remake of Chan-wook Park’s Lady Vengeance, although the latest we heard on the project, Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle had turned the job down. No further news on a director has emerged, although the project appears to be far from dead.
The Crazies
George A Romero’s The Crazies is now in the hands of director Breck Eisner (Sahara). His cast includes Joe Anderson, Timothy Olyphant and Danielle Panabaker, with Romero picking up an executive producer credit. Scott Kosar and Ray Wright have written the new script. Look for it in February 2010.
Creature From The Black Lagoon
Talking of director Breck Eisner, he’s now dropped out of the planned remake of Creature From The Black Lagoon. Based on the 1954 original, the new version has been written by Gary Ross, whose dad was one of the writers on the first film. The search for a new director has thus begun, but it’s still a project very much on the front burner.
Total Recall
The 1990 Arnie film is possibly ripe for a remake, with Columbia Pictures and producer Neal H Moritz keen to revisit the film. Based on the Philip K ^^^^ story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Total Recall proved to be a sizeable global hit on its original release, and while things have been quiet since the original announcement, news now reaches us that a screenwriter has been chosen. Kurt Wimmer is the man currently glued to his word processor, and once his script is complete, we suspect the project will move forward again.
And Soon The Darkness
The original isn’t a widely known thriller, that first hit screens back in 1970. Set in Argentina, the remake has attracted the acting talents of Karl Urban and Adriana Barraza, and Marcos Efron will be making his big screen directing debut behind the camera. It’s unclear when we can expect the finished film, however.
The Thing
It seems that virtually every John Carpenter film has either been remade now, or linked with a remake. The latest is The Thing, which has finally got a director attached. The original remains one of the most unnerving films of the 80s. The new film will look into the first discovery of the alien, with Ron Moore writing the script and Matthijs Van Heijningen directing.
The Shadow
This writer quite liked Alec Baldwin and Russell Mulchaly’s 1990s take on The Shadow. It was no masterpiece, but it was, nonetheless, a bit of a hoot. Producer Michael Uslan, however, is bringing the franchise back to the silver screen, and he’s apparently working closer to the comic book and radio series roots of the character. No cast or director has yet been announced.
The Phantom
Brought to the screen in 1996 with Billy Zane hiding behind the purple mask, the attempt to make a major blockbuster franchise out of The Phantom wasn’t, it’s fair to say, a successful one. However, writer Tim Boyle is hard at work on penning a remake/reboot that will take a fresh look at the character. No word on Zane’s involvement, but this might be one of those cases where a fresh cast really wouldn’t hurt…
Romancing The Stone
The original was one of the finest action adventures of the 1980s, with the union of director Robert Zemeckis and stars Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner very much a successful one. None of them, however, appear to be anywhere near Fox’s planned remake of the film, which is currently being written by Daniel McDermott. When his script is complete, we suspect we shall know more…
The Crow
Stephen Norrington – he of Blade and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen fame – has been linked with a reboot of The Crow franchise. Norrington hasn’t directed a film since LXG, and he’ll also be penning the script, based on James O’Barr’s comic. Original director Alex Proyas, who last helmed Nicolas Cage in Knowing, is not believed to be involved.
Masters Of The Universe
Dolph Lungdren starred in the 1980s original (along with Frank Langella!), and now Warner Bros has pulled together writer Justin Marks and Kung Fu Panda director John Stevenson for a brand new take on Masters Of The Universe. No firm dates have been inked, nor is there any sign of a casting announcement for He-Man. But the intention is to produce a big budget film, with one eye no doubt on the merchandising…
Fantastic Four
You might need to take this one with a pinch of salt, but Marvel hasn’t been shy thus far about quickly rebooting franchises if it felt that was required. The two Fantastic Four movies didn’t do bad business, but it would have hoped for more from Marvel’s First Family. As such, there are rumours that Marvel is considering a complete reboot for the franchise, that’ll see it take a little bit a of a darker edge this time round.
Slap Shot
Dean Parisot gave the world the sublime Galaxy Quest, a film that many of us would dearly love to get a sequel to. However, he’s currently focusing his energies on remaking the classic sports flick, Slap Shot. The 1977 original starred Paul Newman, but there’s no word yet on who’ll be getting their sticks out for the new version. We do know that screenwriter Peter Steinfeld is attached and penning a screenplay.
Evil Dead
As part of the promotional tour for his acclaimed return to horror, Drag Me To Hell, director Sam Raimi expressed his enthusiasm for an Evil Dead remake. He’s said that he’d like to bring in a new and young director to have a bash at the project, but that’s about as far as the details go right about now. We suspect Mr Raimi may be quite busy with the fourth big screen outing for Spider-Man, anyway…
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Currently shooting ahead of a release in April 2010, the Nightmare Of Elm Street remake comes from the Platinum Dune home of remake joy. Taking over as Freddy Krueger is Jackie Earle Haley, and the supporting cast includes Clancy Brown. Samuel Bayer is directing.
Clash Of The Titans
Louis Leterrier, last seen calling the shots on The Incredible Hulk, is hard at work on the remake of Clash Of The Titans, which is scheduled for release in March 2010. In the cast are Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Gemma Arterton.
Tell No One
Based on the book by Harlan Coben, the French take on Tell No One was a cracking thriller, right up until its silly last reel. Still, they’re going to be taking another bash at it, as Miramax and Focus Features are joining together to make an English language version. Due to shoot in the first half of next year, the film will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, but no further casting or crew details have thus far emerged.
Drop Dead Fred
The Rik Mayall vehicle Drop Dead Fred is a love it or hate it movie (count this writer in the latter camp, I’m afraid), and now it’s being developed as a potential vehicle for comedian Russell Brand. The new version of the film is being written by Dennis McNicholas, who undertook scribing duties on this summer’s Land Of The Lost, but there’s no firm word on when cameras will be rolling.
Arthur
Another comedy that’s being potentially regurgitated as a vehicle for comedian Russell Brand. It’s still in the early stages, with discussions with writers being the last word that emerged from the project. Hollywood certainly seems keen to give Brand a few leading roles, though…
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
The 1980s teen comedy starring Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker is proving the template for a remake currently in the works at 20th Century Fox. Thus far, a screenwriter has been hired, with Michelle Morgan being employed to write the script. It’s understood that Miley Cyrus is being wooed to star in the film.
Piranha 3-D
The Hills Have Eyes remake director Alexandre Aja is calling the shots right now on a remake of Piranha 3-D. The cast features Richard Dreyfuss, Jerry O’Connell and Elizabeth Shue, and it’s set for release in March 2010.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
It’s not entirely clear whether this is a remake of sorts or a reboot, but the director of the original-and-not-very-good Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie, Fran Rubel Kuzui, is planning a new take on her 1992 movie. Kuzui had some input into the TV series, but the next big screen Buffy will bear no relation to the show. Kuzui has another film to make first, and then her attention is likely to shift full time to Buffy in around a year, we’d guess. Joss Whedon remains uninvolved in the project.
Footloose
This has been flitting around in development hell for some time, but Paramount has now greenlit the remake of 80s hit Footloose, and has cast Chace Crawford of Gossip Girl fame to star in the film. It’s being directed by Kenny Ortega, the man we have to thank for directing three High School Musical movies. Cheers, Kenny. The film is set to start shooting in March of 2010.
Conan
The latest on the planned Conan remake/reboot has seen potential director Brett Ratner move away from the project, with the rumoured helmer now likely to be V For Vendetta’s James McTeigue. We know that it’ll be going back to the origin of the stories rather than drawing too much influence from the films, and there’s still a plan to have it in cinemas at some point next year.
Straw Dogs
This one’s got a release date of 13th August 2010 already inked in, and James Marsden will be stepping into the Dustin Hoffman role. Rod Lurie, the director of Nothing But The Truth, The Last Castle and The Contender, is taking the director’s chair, and has also penned the screenplay. Shooting is set to start in August.
Red Dawn
September 24th 2010 is the day that the remake of Red Dawn is expected to roll into cinemas. Chris Hemsworth – currently lined up to play Thor, and also the man who played George Kirk in the Star Trek reboot – has nabbed the leading role, while Dan Bradley makes his directorial debut with the project. Bradley has previously done second unit work on Quantum Of Solace, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull and The Bourne Ultimatum, among many others.
Fright Night
DreamWorks has put a remake of Fright Night into production, although it hasn’t yet announced a writer or director for the project. Reportedly keen to stay close to the feel of the 1980s original, the producers of the picture are set to be Michael De Luca, Michael Gaeta and Alison Rosenzweig. Our guess would be that it’s keen to get the film into cinemas while the trend for remaking old horror movies is still hot. 2011 or even late 2010 would be a decent guess.
Mother’s Day
One of Troma’s many memorable horror hits is getting the remake treatment, courtesy of Saw II-IV and Repo: The Genetic Opera director Darren Lynn Bousman. From a script by Scott Milam, the idea is to have the new film ready for Mother’s Day 2010. Do you see what they did there? Jay Stern and – yes! – Brett Ratner are producing.
The Mechanic
Jodie Foster effectively remade Death Wish with The Brave One a year or two back, and now another Charles Bronson movie is coming to the big screen again. Bronson made The Mechanic in 1972, and its original producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff are signed up for the remake. Original director Michael Winner is nowhere to be found, and thus Con Air’s Simon West is stepping into the director’s chair. Jason Statham is set to star, and a 2010 release is planned.
I know Nolan's not doing it. I was being facetious and sarcastic, because he has taken criticism (some deserved, imho) because his fight scenes are often incoherent and so close-up and quick cut that you can't even tell what's happening. So when I saw this quote about the RED DAWN director...
Sometimes Sarcasm is hard to pick up over a computer screen. 
