Not content with the already lined-up Steven Spielberg-Will Smith co-butchering of Park Chan-wook’s “Oldboy*,” Hollywood is now set to work its way through the Korean director’s Vengeance trilogy one by one.
Producer of such riveting properties as “Transformers” and “G.I. Joe,” Lorenzo di Bonaventura recently revealed on his press tour of Korea (to add to the blasphemy) that he is currently in talks with CJ Entertainment about remaking “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” — the first film in Chan-wook’s trilogy. Lord. Spielberg and Smith already are trying to justify their remake by saying it’ll be based on the comic but, even in the realm of pathetic excuses, what does Bonaventura have to say for himself?!
The original film follows the story of a deaf mute and his misadventures in trying to help his sister earn a kidney transplant of which includes black market fraud, kidnappings, terrorist organizations and, of course, revenge. Despite earning a measly $45k on an undoubtedly pathetic U.S. theatrical run for a worldwide box office of just under $2 million on its initial 2002 release, ‘Mr Vengeance’ has since developed a significant cult following thanks mainly due to success of Chan-wook’s follow up “Oldboy,” which was famously championed for the 2004 Palme d’Or by Quentin Tarantino but ultimately lost out to “Fahrenheit 9/11.”
Further, with Charlize Theron presumably still attached (though there’s been no movement on that in years) to produce and star in a remake of “Sympathy For Lady Vengeance,” and going from Hollywood’s current fixation on anything sequel or remake, it surely won’t be long until Chan-wook’s trilogy has an English remake three-pronged box-set ready for release. It’s utterly tragic but, unfortunately, seemingly inevitable — which definitely still isn’t enough to stop us from mildly complaining and kicking at the dirt from the sidelines. It’s not so much that they’re doing remakes at all, again an inevitability, really, but the talent involved, Christ. Can’t they at least get good filmmakers to ruin these films?[FlixUnlimited]
*As one of readers wrote to many of our laughs — will Spielberg really let [spoiler!] Will Smith fuck a girl who turns out to be his daughter in mainstream cineplexes? Now that would be his boldest achievement ever. Here’s the original “Mr. Vengeance” trailer.