A 'Mad Man' Joins 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' Remake

Posted Dec 21st 2007 3:02PM by Jessica Barnes
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers, Casting, 20th Century Fox, Remakes and Sequels

The Hollywood Reporter announced that Jon Hamm, star of *~~HBO's~~ Mad Men, has signed for a role in the update of the sci-fi classic. Hamm plays Don Draper on the series about the heyday of the advertising business. Hamm will join Keanu Reeves as the alien Klaatu, and Jennifer Connolly will play a research scientist. According to THR, Hamm will play "Dr. Granier, a NASA official who recruits Helen (Connelly) for the scientific team investigating an alien's arrival on Earth". For those of you out there who aren't familiar with the 1951 classic, it centers on an alien and his giant robot friend who land on earth to chastise man about their violent ways. They bring a simple message to earthlings, "Live in peace or be destroyed". Of course, we don't listen and it all goes downhill from there. Variety had reported that the film was going to get a little modernizing in both the story and the FX department, saying, "The 1951 film's premise, a response to the rise of the Cold War after WWII, is being updated, and the film will use advances in visual effects."

News of the remake first surfaced back in February, and the jury is still out on whether Keanu Reeves is the right choice as the harbinger of earthly doom. Scott had brought us the news back in April that Scott Derrikson had been hired for the remake and that Last Castle scribe David Scarpa is in charge of the script. The production is expected to be an expensive affair and locations have already been scouted in Vancouver for the lengthy shoot. Hamm is currently filming Boy in The Box with Josh Lucas while Mad Men is on break. The Day the Earth Stood Still is set for release on December 12th, 2008.

*Correction: Mad Men airs on AMC.

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Reader Comments

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1. Isn't "Mad Men" on AMC?

Posted at 4:41PM on Dec 21st 2007 by Gina

2. I just read that Keanu Reeves will be Klaatu!!! What a sick twisted joke in 1/2!! THis is the dumbest idea for a Re-Make since "Halloween"! What the hell!!! What stupid Hollywood executive gave a greenlight for this crap!?!!
Any film Keanu Reeves touches turns into a really bad Z grade film.!! Ok "The Matrix", I give him credit for that, then Part 2 & 3 had to go!! Keanu Reeves with his surfer boy voice gets on my nerves! He turned "Dracula" into a comedy of Miscasting!!

The orginal "The Day the Earth Stood Still" is ranked seventh in Arthur C Clarke's List of the best Science-Fiction films of all time, just above Clarke's own 2001: A Space Odyssey. In 1995, this film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

HOLLYWOOD NEEDS TO PULL THERE HEAD OUT OF THERE ASS, FIRE THE STUDIO EXECUTIVE THAT GREENLIGHTED THIS FILM, & CLEAN UP THE ORGINIAL PRINT & RE-RELEASE IT IN THEATERS!!!!

ANOTHER FUCKING RE-MAKE!! WELL THE MADNESS END IN HOLLYWOOD!! NOW I KNOW THE DEVIL RUNS HOLLYWOOD!! THEY SHOULD TAKE THE ORGINIAL CLEAN IT UP AND JUST RE-RELEASE IT IN THEATERS!!
WHAT HAPPEND TO "FILM PRESERVATION" PEOPLE???????

POWER TO THE PEOPLE WHO PUNSH BAD CINEMA!!!!!!

Posted at 12:54PM on Dec 26th 2007 by Christopher

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