Some stories remain unchanged for decades. Others are retold repeatedly, changed a bit here and there, and brought up-to-date, keeping, in turn, their message intact. Something similar is going on in Hollywood but with a different endgame: the goal of America’s dream factory is not to teach us about decency and a good life but to keep us entertained. Sometimes, it succeeds, and sometimes – let’s face it – it doesn’t. But it keeps trying, which is a laudable effort. In the last decade, Hollywood has updated some of the classic stories from its golden age. Some of the attempts were successful, others were doomed. And more of them are coming – among them, a few that we could be excited about. Like the ones below.
Highlander
Under the tale of Connor MacLeod, the immortal warrior who has to decapitate his opponents to be the last one standing and receive the mythical Prize, there is a great story of love lost and found again centuries later. The movie was not a resounding success at the time of its original release in 1986 but it became one with a cult following, inspiring several sequels, a TV series, comic books, novels, even a slot machine soon to be released at Platinum Play casino. And now it seems the time has come for his story to be told again, helmed by John Wick director Chad Stahelski.
Speaking to Collider, Stahelski revealed that he is really excited about the project, being a big fan of the original movie – he is especially fond of its mythology. He has vowed to keep the tone of the original film’s amazing soundtrack, signed by English rock legend Queen. But expect to see some great sword work once it is released.
Overboard
A rich and selfish heiress (Goldie Hawn) suffers amnesia, and find herself in the arms of a carpenter (Kurt Russell) who she has harmed in the past. The time for revenge is ripe, he thinks, taking the heiress in and making her believe that they are husband and wife living a working-class life. The two main characters in the movie had an amazing chemistry, turning the movie into a touching and hilarious family comedy. And now, a remake is in the works.
This time, it seems, the tables will turn – the film’s official synopsis refers to the yacht owner as “he”, so we can expect star Anna Faris to play the working-class part in the upcoming flick. Which is great, given her comedic talent.
Big Trouble In Little China
A truck driver (Kurt Russell) is drawn into an epic battle against an evil sorcerer (James Hong) who wants to return among the living by marrying a green-eyed girl. Unfortunately, his girlfriend (Kim Cattrall) also has green eyes, so she is abducted by the magical villain. Luckily, Egg Shen (Victor Wong) and his team of well-prepared fighters come to the rescue, saving the world from being taken over by an ancient evil force.
The remake has been in the works for quite some time now, but not much is known about the cast and crew of the movie. The screenplay will be penned by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz (X-Men: First Class, Thor) and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is set to star. It remains to be seen whether the new take on the story will live up to John Carpenter’s original.
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