The Glen Powell business is booming in Hollywood, and if “Twisters” does well in theaters this weekend, expect the actor’s ascension to superstardom to happen even more swiftly than it already is. “Twisters” is Powell’s last big release of 2024, but he has Ari Aster‘s “Huntington“ and Edgar Wright‘s “The Running Man” remake on the way, too. And, according to Imagine Entertainment co-found Brian Grazer, another remake may be in the cards for Powell, too.
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Empire reports that Grazer all but confirmed Powell will star in a remake of Ron Howard‘s 1991 firefighting film “Backdraft” in a CNBC “Squawk Box” interview, on YouTube now. Check out ~1:20-2:20 in the video linked below to hear Grazer talk about the project twice. Granted, Grazer didn’t go into great detail about the remake, but if he’s plugging it on CNBC, it’s very much a sure thing. So stay tuned for an official plug for “Backdraft” in the coming months.
Of course, when “Backdraft” comes out is something else entirely. Powell already shot “Huntington” with Aster, with A24 eying an early-mid 2025 release for that picture, so no worries about that project. And IndieWire reports that “The Running Man” will start shooting later this year, which takes up a good chunk of Powell’s remaining 2024 calendar. But other future projects loom on the actor’s horizon, too: a “Heaven Can Wait” remake, and possibly J.J. Abrams‘ next mystery film. So if a new “Backdraft” is real, Imagine may want to get the ball rolling on it ASAP before Powell becomes too hot a commodity.
For what it’s worth, Ron Howard broached the idea of a “Backdraft” remake to EW last year. “”Backdraft” would be really good [to adapt],” he told the outlet, albeit in reference to an idea to remake the film as a TV series. “You could get the scope and the intensity that we had to do all in-camera — now we could do it efficiently and safely.” Howard also told EW in the same interview that Grazer spoke about a “Backdraft” remake “from time to time,” which validates Grazer’s comments even more. Still, let’s wait for an official announcement before marking this as another Glen Powell vehicle.
Check out the CNBC interview with Brian Grazer below.