For a second there, it seemed like we’d permanently lost Bruce "seriously, I’ll do anything" Willis to junky, should-be-straight-to-DVD movies, and "Die Hard" sequels that lower the bar with each passing entry. But Hollywood still believes in the guy, and he’s been tapped to play an ordinary man dealing with an extraordinary situation (sound familiar?) in a reboot of a gritty ’70s cult classic.
Deadline reports that Willis will lead the long gestating "Death Wish" remake at MGM. At one time slated to be directed by Joe Carnahan, who called his version "a potential Oscar-winning film" in an email tirade he sent to MGM when he was clashing with them over the movie (surprise, he didn’t get to make it), Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, the duo behind the recent festival fave "Big Bad Wolves," will direct. And their take will apparently follow Brian Garfield‘s book, which inspired the 1974 Charles Bronson-starring movie about a man who goes on a warpath of vengeance after his wife is murdered and daughter victimized.
So guess this rules out Keshales and Papushado for "Justice League Dark," which Warner Bros. doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to make anyway. No word yet when production on "Death Wish" begins, but with major pieces in place, it should be soon.
I\’ve wanted to see two remakes for years now (before remakes got popular). One was Shane starring Michael Fassbender (but then he did Slow West, yawn) and the other was Death Wish. I wasn\’t sure who I wanted to be the lead but I was leaning toward a Robert Downey Jr. type. An everyman. I think Bruce Willis isn\’t a good choice because he\’s seen too much as a tough guy. Just my two cents.
Death Sentence is based on another book by Garfield, which is actually a sequel to Death Wish (but the film is very different). The Brave One is clearly an homage (or rehash of if you\’re being unkind) to Death Wish, but not a direct adaptation.
I thought they already remade Death Wish twice, the Brave One with Jodie Foster and Death Sentence with Kevin Bacon. I could be wrong, but for some reason I remember them being advertised at the time as remakes of Death Wish. Personally, I\’m more excited to see the original Death Wish this month at the New Beverly Cinema.