Time For a Time Bandits Remake?
Filed under: Action, Classics, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom, Family Films, Remakes and Sequels
For anyone who is as big a Terry Gilliam fan as I, the following might need to be read while sitting down. According to Variety, Handmade Films, the production company co-created by George Harrison, is set to remake Time Bandits, which Gilliam made for the company twenty-five years ago. Possibly my first introduction to the fantastic film maker and also to many of the Monty Python cast, the film is very dear to me as both a Gilliam fan and as a child of the '80s. It tells of a young boy who travels through time and space with a group of little people who have stolen a special map from "the Supreme Being" in order to guide them on a tour of events throughout history, robbing from characters as diverse as Agamemnon, Robin Hood and Napoleon along the way. Without Gilliam's cooperation and without the cast, which originally included Sean Connery, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Ian Holm and the finest bunch of diminutive actors ever, I just can't imagine how good a Time Bandits redo could be, though I will say that if Handmade reuse Gilliam and Palin's script, it won't be too terrible. I'm not that excited about whatever kind of computer effects they might employ, however.
Handmade, now headed by Patrick Meehan with a production arm led by former Nelson Entertainment exec Anthony Rufus-Isaacs, is supposedly looking to remake more of its older films and in addition to Time Bandits is also working on an update of The Long Good Friday, which originally starred Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren, and a new version of Mona Lisa, which also starred Hoskins, to be directed by Larry Clark.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-31-2006 @ 1:59PM
chris ullrich said...
that is a truly horrible idea.
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10-31-2006 @ 4:40PM
Jonathan Farley said...
While thrilled at the idea that Hollywood wants to revisit the exquisite film Time Bandits, a remake is absolutely the wrong idea. Coincidently, we just happened to be commenting on the film a few days ago and I remarked that Kevin had the polaroid picture of the map in hand as his house burned in the background. I think a sequel would be much more enjoyable and there are plenty of actors who are still around and plenty who would work perfectly in Gilliams twisted universe.
Use Connery, Cleese, Holm and Palin for sure. And throw in Robin Williams (great in Baron Von Munchausen) and others like cast members from sketch comedy shows like SNL, MadTV - heck, even one of the Wayans brothers. But don't - please don't - do a remake.
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10-31-2006 @ 4:55PM
Jonathan Farley said...
And a new cast of mischievous 'robbers' in addition to Kenny Baker (R2D2)and would be excellent... Verne Troyer (miniMe) Deep Roy (Oompa Loompa)Peter Dinklage (Station Agent)Tony Cox (Bad Santa)Warwick Davis (Harry Potter)Jason Acuna (WeeMan from JackAss)Brad Williams (Mind of Mencia)Phil Fondacaro (Troll)Danny Woodburn (Seinfeld, Employee of The Month) and many more...
Got the idea now boys?
My question is, why isn't Gilliam participating?
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