Hey guys! Horrorella here...
I have to admit - when I first heard the news that somebody was attempting to remake the great I SAW THE DEVIL for American audiences, I let out a frustrated and annoyed sigh. Kim Jee-Woon's 2010 film is nothing short of brilliant. A brutal and in-your-face revenge story tapered by deliberate pacing and led by a phenomenal performace from Choi Min-Sik. It's one of my very favorite films, and one that will be challenging to bring to a U.S. audience while retaining everything that made it great to start with.
But the remake is moving forward, leading one to wonder, who could possibly be brave enough to take on this herculean task? That would be Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, the mad duo between one of my favorite horror films in recent memory, YOU'RE NEXT, as well as THE GUEST, which hits theaters this week.
According to The Wrap, they are well into pre-production, with Barrett working on the script, and Wingard reportedly already meeting with actors for potential involvement. The film will be produced by Snoot Entertainment's Keith Calder and Jessica Calder, along with Adi Shankar and Spencer Silna.
And hey, we're all still a little bruised by Spike Lee's misguided attempt to bring the great OLD BOY to the States last year. But Keith Calder is very hopeful for this film, and even released a statement via Twitter, summing up his excitement to be a part of this challenge.
I have long held the theory that remakes don’t have to suck. I am excited about the opportunity to put that theory to the test.
— Keith Calder (@keithcalder) September 15, 2014
Produce Adi Shankar also released this video to express his excitement in the project.
So while it's a little early to declare this to be an automatic success, I am officially intrigued, and very hopeful. Wingard and Barrett are still establishing themselves as filmmakers, but thus far, they haven't disappointed, and their resume together definitely falls in line with the tone of the original film. Plus, as revered as Kim's film has become among genre nerds, it's not a very well-known property to the mainstream crowd.
What do you guys think? Are you hopeful for the remake? What would you expect from a Wingard/Barrett I SAW THE DEVIL?
