Luca Guadagnino isn’t scared of remakes. One look at his filmography shows that clearly. In addition to his previous feature, 2018’s “Suspiria” remake, his “A Bigger Splash” is also a loose remake of the Jacques Deray film “La Piscine.” In both cases, it’s clear that his definition of “remake” isn’t just making a carbon copy of what came before. And it’s that mindset that allows him to take on yet another retelling of a classic film, with his upcoming “Scarface.”
Speaking to Variety, Guadagnino was asked about why he was willing to tackle a new “Scarface” film. Especially in light of two previous highly-regarded versions already existing.
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“People claim that I do only remakes, but the truth of the matter is cinema has been remaking itself throughout its existence,” he explained. “It’s not because it’s a lazy way of not being able to find original stories. It’s always about looking at what certain stories say about our times.”
Guadagnino added, “The first ‘Scarface’ from Howard Hawkes was all about the prohibition era. Fifty years later, Oliver Stone and Brian De Palma make their version, which is so different from the Hawkes film. Both can stand on the shelf as two wonderful pieces of sculpture. Hopefully our’s, forty-plus years later, will be another worthy reflection on a character who is a paradigm for our own compulsions for excess and ambition. I think my version will be very timely.”
Clearly, the filmmaker has a definitive idea for “Scarface” and the character of Tony Montana. So, it’ll be interesting to see how much his vision differs from Hawkes’ and De Palma’s previous films. If “Suspiria” is any indication, the filmmaker is definitely unafraid of mixing things up, even if the remake greatly differs in multiple ways from the original.
But “Scarface” isn’t the only high-profile film that fans are anxiously awaiting. There’s still that issue of the “Call Me By Your Name” sequel. When asked about that project, the filmmaker is reluctant to call it a sequel, but he’s excited to work on it.
“I call it a second chapter, a new chapter, a part two or something like that,” said Guadagnino. “I love those characters. I love those actors. The legacy of the movie and its reception made me feel I should continue walking the path with everybody. I’ve come up with a story and hopefully, we will be able to put it on the page soon.”
We’ve heard discussions from everyone associated with the Oscar-nominated feature about the sequel. The actors seem ready to do it. The filmmaker definitely has an idea for how to move forward. It just looks like no one is in a rush to get it in production and everybody is willing to take their time.
