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SEVEN SAMURAI Remake Has Its Director
Nordling here.
This doesn't sound so much like a remake as it does a reinterpretation along the lines of THE MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN, BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, or A BUG'S LIFE. Variety reports today that the Weinstein Company in conjunction with Japan's Kurosawa Productions has found a director for its SEVEN SAMURAI remake, and that director is Scott Mann (THE TOURNAMENT).
The film looks to be about a small Thailand village that recruits seven top mercenaries from around the world to help fend off an attack. So, yeah, I guess you could call it a remake, although at least it's not a true samurai film, for which I'm grateful.
I'm of very mixed opinion on this - the original may very well be my favorite film of all time, but I can recognize the fact that the story tropes are so universal that they could be changed up to apply to any kind of genre. This is just another iteration. As long as they don't actually call it SEVEN SAMURAI, which would be silly, this might be okay, emphasis on might. It also depends on who they get to play the mercs. I'd imagine something a la THE EXPENDABLES, where old and new action heroes alike line up to play the merc team.
I am not familiar with Scott Mann's work as a director at all, so I have no opinion on how suited he is for the job. Just don't mess this up, please. If they're going to do a remake of this classic piece of cinema, at least the original will still be on my shelf, always ready to watch. It would be nice if the Weinstein Brothers offered to put out SEVEN SAMURAI for theatrical release, just to pay proper respects.
Nordling, out.
Readers Talkback
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WHYYYYYYYYYYYY???
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Watched it, and thought it was brilliant
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in the brilliant season 2 episode, "Bounty Hunters".
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You should watch JJ Abrams talk on TED. He mentions how people tried to copy Jaws but didn't understand that it was the scenes like the one between Brody and his son gurning that made the film great. So many amazing moments in Seven Samurai but they'll just include the fighting...knobs!
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Except as the villagers the white guys (plus a black dude and/or latino guy) save. Or maybe one asian chick that the white protagonist will bang. Skipping this one.
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This thing has been crying for a remake! I wanna see Kevin Smith take the reins!!! PURPA SADU!
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And it's Miike's 13 Assassins and it's fucking awesome. Nothing to see her move along.
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Please just dont. Its been remade enough already.
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May 3, 2011, 4:28 p.m. CST
Sword of Doom is my favorite samurai film, ever. Hollywood will never remake it
by Mel
...because Hollywood doesnt have the balls to make a movie about the villain. So it's safe, thank god.
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It had good action and was unapologetically R-Rated.
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May 3, 2011, 4:30 p.m. CST
You can thank the storyboard artists for the original being sooo good.
by LowDevil
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At this rate we might as well consider the early 80's Christopher Walken mercenary film The Dogs of War, as a Seven Samurai remake or homage too.
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Stupid fucking Hollywood hacks. Howzabout a Citizen Kane remake next? Morons.
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in stylized, black and white look (except fires, gunshots and some other stuff that would be color like Sin City) also: CGI zeppelins in the background for no reason. You know some poor misguided commercial director one day will convince the studios about doing something like this.
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There is no need to remake this film! It is a classic and should not be touched! I will not go out and see this film! Some films should not be remade! This is one of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Absolutely. And who can wait for the Godfather remake, featuring guys jumping through the air in slow motion holding a pistol in each hand? Seriously, I'm generally a fairly libertarian sort of guy, but things like this make me yearn for enforced eugenics.
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lol: CGI zeppelins in the background for no reason..awesome!
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didn't know where to put that comment so I just stuck it in here!
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Easy, brother. I'm worried about you...
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May 3, 2011, 5:56 p.m. CST
Or how about the inevitable Rocky remake where Rocky is a robot
by lv_426
Although, I suppose we are already getting that with Real Steel.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEU1Qz9pnGM
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May 3, 2011, 5:58 p.m. CST
Rear Window remake could feature a giant shootout between tennants of the big apartment building
by lv_426
Maybe instead of being a news photographer, the protagonist can be an ex-special forces operative stuck in his apartment due to a broken leg.
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I suppose a full color modern take could be very cool, but turning it into something like the Clash of the Titans remake or 300 (which I did like) or Sucker Punch- NO please please please please! Don't turn this 'simple' story into a giant ridiculous special effects bulbous bouffant summer movie- ie anyone fighting on wires, and I'm staying home.
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will probably be re-imagined as taking place in some dystopic, tech noir future.
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"WTF?!? They are turning 'Seven Samurai' into a fucking WESTERN? Starring YUL BRYNER AND Horst Buckholz?!? Who came up with this stupid turd if an idea? And I heard that hack Elmer Bernstein was scoring this pike if shit. Ugh."
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I'll design the poster, too, if you want. Call me.
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... his version of Seven Samurai.
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"I'll show that Kurosawa jerk how it SHOULD be done."
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Is S7MURAI some sort of mash up between SE7EN and SEVEN SAMURAI?
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Maybe that is gonna be how they tie all the Fast & Furious films in with Tokyo Drift?
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May 3, 2011, 6:33 p.m. CST
lv_426: that wasn't my original intention, but I LIKE IT!
by WriteForTheEdit
Turns out that one of the "samurai" is really a serial killer. If I were a Hollywood studio executive, I'd be masturbating right now.
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Oh, fuck me sideways with a chainsaw...
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May 3, 2011, 6:43 p.m. CST
"If I were a Hollywood studio executive, I'd be masturbating right now"
by lv_426
I'm not a Hollywood executive, but I am masturbating right now!!!!!!!!
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Directed by Brett Ratner.
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Featuring Tom Berenger as Charles Foster Kane, Shia Lebouf as Jedidiah, Megan Fox as Susan, and Justin Bieber as the jigsaw puzzle.
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Obviously a straight to video interpretation of the core mythos of the Seven Samurai. Any discussion is pointless considering this happens a thousand times a year. Doesn't anybody watch STV shlock?
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May 3, 2011, 7:13 p.m. CST
Next thing you know, some asshole will remake Romeo & Juliet...
by Hesiod2k7
...starring Animated lawn gnomes.
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...with classic novels. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!
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May 3, 2011, 7:38 p.m. CST
And now that I've read more than the headline I realize I jumped the gun
by JackSlater4
Not a remake at all
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STOP. I don't care if it's not really a remake. JUST STOP.
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and it sucked HUGE. It was pure amateur hour. This idiot must have taken something sideways up the ass from someone important or he has connected parents.
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Has anyone watched the Pirates clip posted on Yahoo? Fuck you Rob Marshall. You can't direct action for shit. But maybe if the whole movie is as bad that scene is people will start giving a little more credit to directors like Michael Bay.
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...White, a Black, a Latino, a Jew, an Arab, a Native-American, and an Asian dude who is a martial arts master. Oh yes, it will kick ass and teach us all a lesson on racial harmony. It will break down doors and racial stereotypes. However, the cast will be all Men, because Women should stay home, have babies, and have the fucking dinner waiting there for him when he gets back! And he will get back when he fucking feels like it!!!!!
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Seconded on that Sword of Doom comment. What an amazing fucking movie.
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Definitely an action film worth checking out if you haven't! Liam Cunningham (who I guarantee you have seen in a thousand movies even if you don't know his name) is so bad ass in it!
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May 3, 2011, 9:46 p.m. CST
Actually, Casablanca was remade, Barbwire, and it was as bad as you expecteded it David Cloverfield
by Yamato
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It's the Weinsteins, man... They're *totally* gonna call it THE SEVEN SAMURAI.
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The Weinsteins aren't THAT fucking stupid...
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I think he's one of my favorite of the new blockbuster directors. Pirates, The Ring, Mousehunt... he likes different genres and he's done some great work in them.
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...with all white people.
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fucking horrible bad.
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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It worked once for Magnificent Seven and Clone Wars did a nice homage with it. But that is all it was, it was a homage not redoing the entire piece. Can no one think if anything new in Hollywood?
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May 4, 2011, 7:23 a.m. CST
Do the 47 Ronin or a Lone Wolf and Cub series but
by Grammaton Cleric Binks
leave one of the greatest movies of all time alone you stupid hacks.
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I really wish they were able to finish the next two films to make it a trilogy. That would have been pretty damn epic.
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May 4, 2011, 7:59 a.m. CST
Well if you're gonna have A Bug's Life up mentioned,
by THE_CHOPPAH_STRIKES_BACK
then you need to have Three Amigos!
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Chris Pine as Atticus Finch, Megan Fox as Maudie, 50 Cent as Tom Robinson, and Justin Bieber as the voice of the CGI Boo Radley.
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As if there were any way that this could possibly improve on the ABSOLUTELY PERFECT original directed by the Master, Kurosawa. De-evolution is very real and I FUCKING HATE IT.
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Obscene.
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this is really pointless
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Excellent film is excellent.
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Because, and all credit to Kurosawa if he originally thought it up, but this story is perfect. You can translate this story to any period, culture, attitude, fictional or historical andit will work (if done correctly) because the story ROCKS! Seven Samurai is awesome, and the Magnificent Seven is friggin' awesome. So I'll never bitch about this story being remade because, again as long as its done well, it will always be kick ass enterainment. Only fools lacking in imagination fear an all White cast - SEALs, Mossad, Jihadists, Triads, Yakuza, African commandos, etc - bad-asses come in all colors and creeds.
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what kind of disrespectful asshole would touch this?
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Instead of an unwarranted remake I would prefer Media Blasters release the remaining seasons of the television series.
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Nic Cage as Don Corleone, Ashton Kutcher as Sonny, Chris Pine as Fredo, Shia Lebouf as Michael, Megan Fox as Kay, and Justin Bieber as the orange.
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May 4, 2011, 12:01 p.m. CST
am I alone in thinking inserting the "real" Emperor in ESB Special Edition was a good change?
by ndally
I understand that for most of you it's the princepal of the thing that Lucas changed the movies but like I said earlier inserting Ian. M's Emperor adds continuity for the new generation of Star Wars fans. I think the ESB changes aren't all that bad. I dont mind the blue tint on Hoth and the other color timing issues but I really digg the extra Emperor/Vader dialogue. It adds a bit more to Vaders intentions and overall arc. So sure everything else from Han not being the only shooter and the dance sequence sucks balls can't anyone admit that this change(which actually was a DVD change not special edition 1997 release change) was a good one. Luke NOT screaming was a good change via the DVDs as well(even though the problem was created by 1997 release in the first place). So anyone else think adding the "real" Emperor was a worthy alteration to ESB?
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May 4, 2011, 12:25 p.m. CST
I've never even seen 7 Samurai and I think this is blasphemous
by Kremzeek
The only thing worse would be re-doing the Godfather at this point (as has been pointed out by others too). At this point, I've already quit seeing movies in theatres altogether (the last film I saw on the big screen was Dark Knight). If this trend continues it'll only be a matter of time before I will only buy and watch catalogue titles. Fuck "NuHollywood". Oh, and NDALLY: No, you are not alone. I like that change (pretty much the only one I like - that, and the new entry into Cloud City). Although, I'm not particularly fond of the new dialogue.
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Ashton Kutcher as Dave Bowman, Shia Lebouf as Frank Poole, Megan Fox as Dr. Heywood Floyd, Chris Pine as the voice of HAL, and Justin Bieber as the dehydrated space food.
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The Godfather is a timeless yet very specific tale of group of characters brought to life by iconic actors who pretty much made the story and the characters within inimitable. The story is of the Corleones and their people in America and NY from the 1940's through 1958 (let's ignore GF3). No reason to re-tell the story, because it exists in beautiful color and sound and it was already told perfectly, and again it is a very specific story told in a specific voice about a specific group of people. Seven Samurai is about a group of opressed people hiring 7 dangerous violent people to fight a larger group of dangerous violent people. The plot can and does apply to anybody in the world. In every culture, every language, every age of Man there has been poor people and the violent men who exploit the poor and there have always been groups of violent men fighting each other. Ancient Mayan culture, Ancient Rome, Phoenicians, modern Iraq, Zulu, Chinese, outer space, underwater, animated, puppets - you can apply the story to anything and it's still a great story. Remake the Godfather with talking Old West mice and it'd be a joke.
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Let great films inspire us to make other great films, not remake them. 13 Assassins is a great film. Director Takashi Miike tips his hat to Seven Samurai (and many other samurai classics), but has created his own epic and it is spectacular. Maybe we're in for a new wave of Samurai movies - if so, I hope they aren't all remakes.
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Where's Brett Ratner when you need him?! I thought they only remade classics with the very worst directors??
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This "odd numbers ST" movies dogma bullshit has to end once and for all. ST3 is a damn fine movie.
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Lloyd was horribly miscast as Kruge. Also, the movie gets a bit draggy in spots, and the whole thing on Mt. Seleya goes on way too long. The Klingons in general were morons, and IMO this movie did serious damage to the Klingons as a whole. Are you telling me this group of nitwits is from the same race that produced Kor as seen in Errand of Mercy? And let's not even get into the suckfest that is Robin Curtis. There are also a lot of great bits, and overall it's a decent movie. It's the best of the odd-numbered flicks for sure, but I would not call it damned fine.
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I would, however, remake Generations, Insurrection, and Nemesis. As for 5...I don't think Stanley Fucking Kubrick could've fixed that one.
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I would think Bieber would be playing Scout?
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HATE.
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Kurosawa ripped off William Shakespeare! THAT BASTARD!!!!!!
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That's a Japanese company, folks. This isn't "Hollywood." Thinking it will be all white guys is absurd. Even in general--that ship has sailed, and you'll never see it again. Multi-racial, multinational. You want the world's money, you have to show the world's faces. No way there won't be a Japanese, and probably a Chinese as well. KUROSAWA productions. If the Japanese decide to make another version of a favorite story, it isn't "Hollywood" it's just the nature of business.
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