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November 03, 2006
ROY LEE STRIKES AGAIN: THE HOST REMAKE IS BORN
Roy Lee, king of the remake deals, has set up a remake of THE HOST over at Universal pictures. I'm betting that this is a project that will go nowhere fast. The key part of the Variety story:
" Producers have yet to set either a scripter or a helmer. Although the pic is a simple monster-cum-hostage move, the retread will likely need some tweaking. Korean story had social and political undertones that included sideswipes at the U.S., which has a large military presence in Korea."
This is an example of a remake that may be based solely on market frenzy. People in the States see that it's made US$84 million in Korea, and they think, "We should remake that." Not realizing that by taking the story out of Korea they basically lose all the elements that made it unique. You don't need the remake rights to shoot a movie about a monster in the Mississippi that steals a little girl from her dopey dad. With a few tweaks you could come up with a totally different project and never pay a dime. But there you go: remakes know no rhyme or reason. They just are.
November 3, 2006 at 10:20 AM in News | Permalink
Comments
I hate to deliver a simple comment here but:
Roy Lee is jerk.
I also hate to be simplistic here but how can another Asian just sell out his own like that.
Think about it. Wouldn't an Asian American producer want to push forth projects in this country that feature Asians in prominent roles? Instead he spends pretty much his entire career helping American companies buy up remake rights for Asian films to re-film them with an all white cast, thus making Asian faces in leads in the US that don't involve martial arts arts more and more difficult.
Honestly I don't have a problem with remakes, but if a man spends almost his entire time dedicated to remake films that at the most are barely a half a decade old...
Posted by: the running man | Nov 3, 2006 11:26:50 AM
Agreed.
Posted by: Ourboc | Nov 3, 2006 11:36:57 AM
look at the Wicker Man remake (or don't preferably).
Hollywood took a VERY specifically British movie and remade it without the very things that made it unique;
I haven't seen the Host but chances are Hollywood will remake anything with the least bit of name recognition regardless of whether the remake loses meaning.
Posted by: glenn | Nov 3, 2006 12:03:47 PM
STAY AWAY FROM MY HOST!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
AGH!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Simon Abrams | Nov 3, 2006 12:40:47 PM
Totally agree, an Asian American producer could make a big difference (or at least try) in introducing more asian actors to the US that dont involve martial arts or any of that other stereotypical crap their thrown in...
Posted by: azndevil | Nov 3, 2006 1:12:36 PM
This sounds almost bizarre about Roy Lee, because there's a film at www.undergroundfilm.org called "Bad Guys" by Roy Lee that has a complete Asian American cast and is completely original - check it out???
Posted by: razz | Nov 3, 2006 1:56:21 PM
The HOST's FX creators Webster Colcord and Corey Rosen of The Orphanage begged our preview audience to boycott the rumored remake slyly adding that they would just have to recreate their intricate FX all over again.
Posted by: Jennifer | Nov 3, 2006 2:45:17 PM
Roy Lee-bashing aside, Grady's point is very good--why bother shelling out cash for a pretty basic concept like The Host's? As soon as you take away the Korean-ness and the Bong-ness you're left with a monster emerging from a river, and you could come up with that for free. Lee must be one heck of a salesman.
Posted by: Justin Slotman | Nov 3, 2006 7:38:55 PM
feels like you hit the nail on the head, grady, you're right about how film is more than the sum of its most basic parts - and that it would be possible to make a generic 'inspired by' movie without getting into too much trouble, or just following by 'the host's lead and creating or reviving a monster movie sub-genre. i don't object to remakes as such, just crap remakes, and that's most of them... just like i don't object to a lot of what hollywood and the DVD business is doing with asian cinema, because ultimately they can't control something that's so remote and out of touch to them to any extent that will entirely change the nature of how countries work independantly or in relation to one another, so let them get on with their fantasies and i will continue with my reality, as i suspect those asian industries will also. the korean 2-disc DVD of 'the host' is the only thing i have my eye on with regards this film, even the UK cinema release is likely to be limited and difficult to track down - and in the end, i see the film i want to see and i am happy,
Posted by: logboy | Nov 4, 2006 2:28:35 AM
was thinking earlier, wonder what effect an expensive license and a positive vote for a films potential as a remake in the American market does for the price of license offers for releases of original films in the same market?... hmmm.
Posted by: logboy | Nov 5, 2006 7:10:52 AM
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