Weinsteins Remaking Seven Samurai?
Filed under: Action, Classics, Drama, Foreign Language, Casting, Deals, RumorMonger, The Weinstein Co., Newsstand, George Clooney, Cinematical Indie
According to reports from China that are now making their ways to the US, The Weinstein Company is planning a remake of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Because, you know, it REALLY needs improvement -- what is with that black and white crap, anyway? And who wants to read subtitles? Sigh. A loose-lipped representative of Mandarin Films claims that Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen met with Harvey Weinstein at Cannes about starring in the film, and that both Zhang Ziyi and well-known Asian actor George Clooney have been approached as well. Who on earth would Clooney play? A white-guy farmer who moved to the village after the original movie was over, or something?According to Monkey Peaches, the movie will be "slightly updated," and will feature lots of fun, "CGI-enhanced fight scenes." Though wire reports indicate the film's budget is unknown, the Asian press is throwing around a cost of about $100 million. Of course, how true any of this is remains very much up in the air -- personally, I expect a strongly worded denial for TWC any minute now.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-31-2006 @ 2:39PM
Alex said...
They should(n't) make a Seven Samurai update starring Terrence Howard, Nas, Ludacris, DMX, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, and Eminem, set it in Harlem, and call it 7Thugz (yes, with no space between 7 and Thugz).
Watch this happen someday. The movie will make no money but the soundtrack will go triple platinum.
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5-31-2006 @ 2:48PM
Jay Gameg said...
Oh, come off it, Martha.
This could be wonderful!
And then I'd love to see "Citizen Kane" with Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts in the Orson Welles/Agnes Moorehead roles.
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5-31-2006 @ 3:28PM
Chuck said...
You think the studio heads ever just get bored and wonder "Ok, what remake announcement can I make to piss off the film loyalists today?"
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5-31-2006 @ 5:15PM
Cath said...
Oh, no!!!!!!!!
This is one of my absolute favorite films of all time and influential in so many aspects of my life. Not as though I would not want another samurai film, but c'mon, this one's been remade to death. Donnie Yen's talents are better served doing something else. As good as he is, he's no Mifune. Can't these people come up with good stories on their own?
Anyway, one would think Beat Takeshi's ill conceived attempt to remake Zatoichi would have taught them something.
My vote goes to Onmyoji III.
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5-31-2006 @ 5:25PM
floretbroccoli said...
Remake of "Seven Samurai"? Isn't that called "The Magnificent Seven"?
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5-31-2006 @ 6:33PM
JJ said...
Well i guess they could do it... Samurai 7 the anime equivalent has fared pretty well... of course it was just LOOSELY based on the seven samurai, but there's a lot of similarities.
If Donnie yen has a part of it... i'll see it... i love Donnie yen. But please keep Clooney away... his smug will kill people before they even make it to the theater.
If they're gonna make an american remake of it.. try to put as many asian actors as possible into it. and if Clooney MUST have a role... make it a cameo... or at least let him die =)
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5-31-2006 @ 6:34PM
JJ said...
hmm Terrence Howard could be in it... or better yet.. how about Wesley Snipes or Sean Connery? ha ha ha
get a multi racial samurai group going. I mean why not?
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6-01-2006 @ 9:40AM
Pardon my terrible English said...
"And who wants to read subtitles? Sigh."
Look like you fail in psychology course that you're not awared of hearing impaired.
Suppose to saying, "Wish there is optional to turn subtitle off blah blah". Because this sentence, I felt insult because I am deaf and Asian.
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6-01-2006 @ 3:01PM
David said...
This is incredible. One of the few times American filmmakers got it right was with the Maginicent 7 but 99% of the time when we try to remake Asian films we mess it up. I do not want to see Infernal Affairs and I definitely will not see this joke
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6-02-2006 @ 12:48PM
THEO said...
Uh, everyone? "The Magnificient Seven" was also a remake of "The Seven Samurai", and that turned out OK.
Assuming this would be a literal remake with George Clooney in it is, well, stupid.
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6-12-2006 @ 5:57PM
melissa said...
great lets make another japanese movie with chinese actors. i can't stand zhang ziyi! and this will be the second remake of kurosawa's film... do we really think we can improve it ?? there are many talented japanese actors but apparently no one in hollywood wants to hire them???!!! i would support a remake if it was staring japanese actors.
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