With David Fincher getting ready to unveil his take on the acclaimed “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” just two years after the popular (but not so hot) Swedish version, it seems Hollywood has found a new niche to exploit: English-language versions of popular foreign films (okay, so maybe it’s not that new). Back in 2008, Guillaume Canet‘s French thriller “Tell No One” was blowing away American critics and audiences as well as becoming one of the biggest foreign hits that year at the box office. Talks of a remake weren’t far behind, and last year Andrew Dominik (“Chopper,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford“) was reported to be writing it. Well, it seems that didn’t come to pass but the remake is still very much on the way.
Deadline reports that Ben Affleck is now attached to direct “Tell No One” with Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures picking up the rights. Based on the book by best-selling author Harlan Coben, the film revolves around a doctor who, after is wife vanishes, is at first suspected of having murdered his wife but then begins to receive clues that she may in fact still be alive. Canet’s film is a nifty, taut little piece of work that already has won widespread acclaim so we’re not sure what the point of a remake here is unless the filmmakers take a page from Fincher and decide to change some elements of the source material (the ‘Dragon Tattoo’ ending has been changed for the forthcoming film).
As Mike Fleming notes, before Canet’s version, the project was set up at Sony back in 2002 with “Star Trek” scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci set to write it. Obviously that didn’t happen. Now Chris Terrio — who has penned Affleck’s upcoming “Argo” — will adapt the book, so while you wait for this version to get in front of cameras, you have plenty of time to catch up on the original. You can check out the trailer for Canet’s film below. But seriously Affleck, you’re a talented director who has gotten behind some great material so far — you can do better than this.
I hope they get the antagonist right this time. They replaced this chilling villain Eric Wu with a woman in the French film. He was so memorably described. Hopefully they can cast an Asian/Korean actor to play the part. Looking forward to this project!!!!
I hope they get the antagonist right this time. They replaced this chilling villain Eric Wu with a woman in the French film. He was so memorably described. Hopefully they can cast an Asian/Korean actor to play the part. Looking forward to this project!!!!
Kurtzman and Orci were not merely \”set to write\” the remake, they did write it. On the ScriptShadow site, which reviews screenplays, it is rated as one of the ten best unproduced screenplays.
You know what film\’s going to be next for the remake peeps don\’t you? It\’ll be Point Blank. Mark my words!
Point Blank was the follow-up film by the director who make Anything for Her which was later remade into The Next 3 Days starring Russell Crowe which wasn\’t a patch on the original!
I saw the original \”Tell No One\” in the theater when it came out here in Chicago. I then bought it on DVD because it was one of my favorite movies of 2008. Do they really expect to top the original? It must be Hollywood\’s cash & grab jobs.
Ben Affleck is a talented filmmaker, but David Fincher\’s talent is like, a million light years ahead of him. That\’s one of the reasons why I want to see his take on TGWTDT. The other reason being that its a closer adaptation of the book.
Excuse me, but the Swedish original of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was \”not so hot\”????? What surviving brain donor did write this? Did you at least SEE the original? OR the remake? What a jerk!
You really think the non-illuminated watered down version by Fincher, with a very FAKE leading lady can even be a weak copy? No, the constantly pouting James Bond will do the trick… Blah…
it was a good french american-style movie
Good eye screenwriter17
not to nitpick, but deadline does in fact use the term \”remake\” at the end of the item\’s second paragraph…
wtf! we have enough sequels prequels remakes, C\’mon i want to see original stories. Tell no one was a good movie, it\’s pointless to do a remake