If it's crap... We'll tell you
Is Oldboy now Old News?
Well, hey I'm not sure how accurate this one is, and let me start off by saying right now that I'm NOT 100% SURE if this one is the truth, but here goes:
Latino Review is reporting that the Will Smith and Steven Spielberg adaptation of Oldboy is now officially dead, and that there will be an announcement in the more "reliable" sources later this week.
But, according to this story at least. The reason for the failure is that Dreamworks wasn't able to get the rights from Mandate, the company that currently owns the rights to the Japanese Manga series by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya.
Now, here's the ironic part. Unlike MOST of you that are going to be jumping up and down regarding the fact that this particular remake is supposedly dead. In a way I'm sort of torn on this one.
See, here's the thing. When most people mention "Oldboy", you automatically think of this particular film.
And that will start the floodgates opening up regarding this particular film as a "Masterpiece that shouldn't be touched". But here's something for you to remember, and please pay attention.
The VAST MAJORITY of Audiences have NEVER SEEN this movie unless it was on DVD. Proof? Well, let's look at some of the numbers real fast. According to Box Office Mojo, Oldboy NEVER get released in more than 30 theaters in a week. It NEVER broke the top 40 movies of a week. It NEVER made more than $14,000 in a week. It NEVER made even $1Million dollars in the ENTIRE run of the movie in American theaters. So, before you go on about how it's such a wonderful and magnificent piece of film, remember that the MAJORITY of the American population has NEVER SEEN THIS MOVIE. Granted, the movie DID make $14Million world-wide, but let's be honest about this one as well. Will Smith ALONE can assure you of more than $14Million on the OPENING WEEKEND alone.
So, in a way I wanted this particular movie to BE MADE, just so that it WOULD EXPOSE it to a wider audience. But that's about where my loyalty dies regarding this movie, because we get into the second part of this equation.
The concept was NOT (Pay attention to this part... IT WAS NOT) going to be a remake of the Oldboy movie, but they wanted to make an adaptation of the OLDBOY MANGA only. And this, ironically, is where I join the majority of people that didn't want this movie to be made.
See, the problem is that while a large portion of the American audiences never saw the movie, I assure you that even a LARGER portion of the population have no clue about the Manga. Which by the way, has been released under Dark Knight's production as an English-Translated manga 8-issues, from July 5, 2006 to October 10, 2007. Also, if you've READ the Manga, then you should be aware that the Korean movie itself wasn't quite all that faithful to begin with either.
But, here's the problem that I've had all along with the Oldboy story. It would NOT translate very well to the American audience when adapted by HOLLYWOOD. There are too many issues regarding cultural aspects, mental aspects, and the over-all plot that just doesn't give itself a very "Hollywood Marketable" film to begin with. Our "Hero" is held Captive for 15yrs in a Hotel Room, which might work for American audiences as we feel sympathy for the guy. But that's about IT. Everything else that happens in the Manga just wouldn't work. The way he occupies his time (Fighting/Tattooing) wouldn't work because it wouldn't make sense. The way that he escapes and what happens afterward wouldn't work either. And then of course let's be honest about this one. Do you REALLY expect that Hollywood will have Will Smith in a movie that has "Incest" involved in anyway what-so-ever? Hell no, they would change THAT part of the story to fit the "American Value System", and that alone would automatically CHANGE the overall story. Plus, when our "Hero" is given a chance to kill his kidnapper, we (Meaning the American Movie-goers) generally prefer our heroes to be a bit "better than that", and NOT take the opportunity until after trying to REASON with the "Bad-guy"or at least RATIONALIZE the reasons for the "Bad-guy's death".
Basically, what I'm saying is that while the story DOES work quite well for a Manga (or in ANY written form you pick), once it starts to get adapted by "The Hollywood System", you know that they will change the story to fit the "Safer Subjects", which ruins that whole written story. So, while I'm happy that this project is "Dead" (Or at least, let's hope so). I'm happy for a different reason than most people will be. I never really cared about the concept of a "Remake" to the Korean movie, so much as I was concerned about the STORY itself being slaughtered by Hollywood. So far, that seems to be a story that is still INTACT, and hopefully will stay that way.
Latino Review is reporting that the Will Smith and Steven Spielberg adaptation of Oldboy is now officially dead, and that there will be an announcement in the more "reliable" sources later this week.
But, according to this story at least. The reason for the failure is that Dreamworks wasn't able to get the rights from Mandate, the company that currently owns the rights to the Japanese Manga series by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya.
Now, here's the ironic part. Unlike MOST of you that are going to be jumping up and down regarding the fact that this particular remake is supposedly dead. In a way I'm sort of torn on this one.
See, here's the thing. When most people mention "Oldboy", you automatically think of this particular film.
And that will start the floodgates opening up regarding this particular film as a "Masterpiece that shouldn't be touched". But here's something for you to remember, and please pay attention.
The VAST MAJORITY of Audiences have NEVER SEEN this movie unless it was on DVD. Proof? Well, let's look at some of the numbers real fast. According to Box Office Mojo, Oldboy NEVER get released in more than 30 theaters in a week. It NEVER broke the top 40 movies of a week. It NEVER made more than $14,000 in a week. It NEVER made even $1Million dollars in the ENTIRE run of the movie in American theaters. So, before you go on about how it's such a wonderful and magnificent piece of film, remember that the MAJORITY of the American population has NEVER SEEN THIS MOVIE. Granted, the movie DID make $14Million world-wide, but let's be honest about this one as well. Will Smith ALONE can assure you of more than $14Million on the OPENING WEEKEND alone.
So, in a way I wanted this particular movie to BE MADE, just so that it WOULD EXPOSE it to a wider audience. But that's about where my loyalty dies regarding this movie, because we get into the second part of this equation.
The concept was NOT (Pay attention to this part... IT WAS NOT) going to be a remake of the Oldboy movie, but they wanted to make an adaptation of the OLDBOY MANGA only. And this, ironically, is where I join the majority of people that didn't want this movie to be made.
See, the problem is that while a large portion of the American audiences never saw the movie, I assure you that even a LARGER portion of the population have no clue about the Manga. Which by the way, has been released under Dark Knight's production as an English-Translated manga 8-issues, from July 5, 2006 to October 10, 2007. Also, if you've READ the Manga, then you should be aware that the Korean movie itself wasn't quite all that faithful to begin with either.
But, here's the problem that I've had all along with the Oldboy story. It would NOT translate very well to the American audience when adapted by HOLLYWOOD. There are too many issues regarding cultural aspects, mental aspects, and the over-all plot that just doesn't give itself a very "Hollywood Marketable" film to begin with. Our "Hero" is held Captive for 15yrs in a Hotel Room, which might work for American audiences as we feel sympathy for the guy. But that's about IT. Everything else that happens in the Manga just wouldn't work. The way he occupies his time (Fighting/Tattooing) wouldn't work because it wouldn't make sense. The way that he escapes and what happens afterward wouldn't work either. And then of course let's be honest about this one. Do you REALLY expect that Hollywood will have Will Smith in a movie that has "Incest" involved in anyway what-so-ever? Hell no, they would change THAT part of the story to fit the "American Value System", and that alone would automatically CHANGE the overall story. Plus, when our "Hero" is given a chance to kill his kidnapper, we (Meaning the American Movie-goers) generally prefer our heroes to be a bit "better than that", and NOT take the opportunity until after trying to REASON with the "Bad-guy"or at least RATIONALIZE the reasons for the "Bad-guy's death".
Basically, what I'm saying is that while the story DOES work quite well for a Manga (or in ANY written form you pick), once it starts to get adapted by "The Hollywood System", you know that they will change the story to fit the "Safer Subjects", which ruins that whole written story. So, while I'm happy that this project is "Dead" (Or at least, let's hope so). I'm happy for a different reason than most people will be. I never really cared about the concept of a "Remake" to the Korean movie, so much as I was concerned about the STORY itself being slaughtered by Hollywood. So far, that seems to be a story that is still INTACT, and hopefully will stay that way.
Comment
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Comment by swanny on November 15, 2009 at 7:24pm - as an indie movie it could do quie well
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Comment by theblackswordsman on November 15, 2009 at 3:33pm - It's a joke.
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Comment by Stephan on November 15, 2009 at 2:18pm - What does Mountain Dew have to do with taste in movies? The logic escapes me.
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Comment by theblackswordsman on November 15, 2009 at 1:31pm
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That's right AT-man, the original story didn't have incest at all. It was more of a slow boil detective story, than some all out gross fest. Also there was no escape or tattoos either. The original is rather long at times, but the amount that they changed it in the korean version kinda made me not like it. Granted the long fight scene still stands out.
Plus there are plenty of times in the original the hero is given a chance to kill his tormentor but he doesnt because he has become obsessed with why he was kept captive for so long(10 yrs in the books). I think a mix of the action from the korean flick with the pyhcological introspection of the original would make an interesting movie.
But judging by the amount of mt. dew sales; it would still be to boring for americans.
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Comment by AT-man on November 14, 2009 at 9:49am - nah, the version which will smith wants to do with steven speilberg is apparently going to be based on the comic WHICH *sorry for the spoiler* had no scenes of incest with it, and it was kind of an anticlimactic ending
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Comment by Ito on November 13, 2009 at 5:53pm - I'm I the only one who didn't like Oldboy
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Comment by Stephan on November 13, 2009 at 4:18pm
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If EVERYONE on the INTERNET typed like this, it would be very ANNOYING.
That said, I really wanted to see what this movie would have been like. I don't care what anyone says, Oldboy was a stupid movie.
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Comment by Wild Bill on November 12, 2009 at 12:34pm - I was suprised that Will Smith would have anything to do with Oldboy in the first place. It shows he's ready to take on more complex roles. Unless the studios were going to turn it into some kind of summer blockbuster action movie. It would've been interesting to see him in this kind of role even if it wasn't a true remake. If you enjoyed the Vengeance Trilogy check out A Tale of Two Sisters by Kim Ji-woon. In my opinion all foreign movies need subtitles. Fuck Dubbing!!!
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Comment by DanK on November 12, 2009 at 3:32am - I thought I loved Oldboy when i first saw it but to me that film doesn't really hold up to multiple viewings and i agree with dexter in that the hypnosis aspects of the film kind of turn me off. I would have loved to see an American remake and see what they would've done with the material. like i like Oldboy but i just think that the popularity of that movie overshadows chan wook park's much better Sympathy for Mr. Vengence
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Comment by L3m0nJu1c3 on November 12, 2009 at 1:30am - i love oldboy. i agree that exposure to any origional oldboy material would be a good thing but the only people who have seen this movie are the ones who go out of their way to search for the unconventional intriguingly dark stories. i wouldnt want to see a (as you put it) 'watered down' version either.
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