Metropolis Remake: Another Classic Gets Defiled?
Well I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. Ever since they announced a remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still (or indeed, ever since Spielberg decided to give his take on War of the Worlds), the floodgates have opened on classic sci-fi updates. Fritz Lang’s Metropolis looks to be the next in line to receive a modern retelling, courtesy of German producer Thomas Schuehly (Alexander) and Mario Kassar (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Basic Instinct 2).
It’s hard not to think of the original silent film, and wonder how they can possibly capture the same sense of awe and wonder that this movie must have inspired when it was first released in 1927. So much about the film has become iconic, and to even try and recreate it seems foolhardly. On the other hand, there has already been one recent re-imagining that was somewhat intriguing it its own right, Rintaro’s 2001 anime film based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka. A director is currently being sought for the project, but I foresee this turning out something like I, Robot: a cerebral story with big ideas that gets packaged into a mindless summer blockbuster. Incidentally, I would say Alex Proyas is the ideal person to direct this, if I hadn’t been so disillusioned with I, Robot. Should Metropolis be remade? If so, who would you like to see direct it?
Comments (8)
Fritz Lang died in ‘76.
Leave his films alone.
Posted by Matt on December 10th, 2007I’m split on remakes. On the one hand I understand, and agree with, most of the arguments for NOT remaking these classic films and I won’t go into them. But then I think about music… and songs get “remade” or (using the accepted term) covered, all the time. And I ask myself, what is the difference exactly? Why is it OK for Michael Buble to re-record and rearrange Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World (if indeed Armstrong’s is the first version) and not for Mr. Bigshot Awesome Filmmaker to re-do Classic Film?
Posted by ivan on December 10th, 2007The anime was pretty fun and I’m sure a remake if done well could be quite visually stunning. This is a film that is old enough that remaking it doesn’t feel completely wrong.
Posted by Ian on December 10th, 2007I’m finding remakes easier and easier to ignore, so if this one is crap, I may never know.
Posted by deadpaul on December 10th, 2007I don’t want to see this remade, but if it has to be done, I would like to see Paul Verhoeven direct it.
Posted by Henrik on December 11th, 2007Eureka…..they did it!
Posted by govardhana on May 9th, 2008Eureka!, the did it!
Posted by govardhana on May 9th, 2008Leave a Reply