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[FoneBone]

There are no words other than a huge FUCK YOU to everyone involved with this.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002863.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1

Universal to remake 'Videodrome'
David Cronenberg-directed thriller gets redo
By MICHAEL FLEMING

Universal Pictures will remake the 1983 David Cronenberg-directed thriller "Videodrome," with Ehren Kruger set to write the script and produce with partner Daniel Bobker.

The producers tracked down the rights to Canadian distribution vet Rene Malo, who will be exec producer. Universal distributed the original and had first refusal on a remake, and the studio snapped up the opportunity.

The original "Videodrome" starred James Woods as the head of Civic TV Channel 83, who makes his station relevant by programming "Videodrome," a series that depicts torture and murder that transfixes viewers.

The new picture will modernize the concept, infuse it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller.

Cronenberg has no role in the film as yet. He is prepping for MGM "The Matarese Circle" as a starring vehicle for Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Since Cruise appears likely to next star in the DreamWorks drama "Motorcade" and Washington has committed to the Fox drama "Unstoppable," "Circle" doesn't appear likely to get under way until later this year or 2010.

Bobker/Kruger Films recently set the thriller "Dream House" at Morgan Creek and is producing, with Matthew Stillman, "The Keep" for Rogue. Kruger co-wrote the June 24 Paramount/DreamWorks release "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

 

[Slurmer]

fuck that

 

[Gattsu25]

The pillaging of my childhood continues.

 

[vatstep]

UGH.

 

[bggrthnjsus]

wtf why
have we really used up all possible entertaining ideas

 

[Count Dookkake]

Stick a remake in your chest vagina, Kruger.

 

[Ripclawe]

I have already settled in my head the news 10 years from now that Warner Bros will reimage the Matrix considering the way Hollywood makes movies now.

 

[RoboPlato]

On the bright side, at least Fox isn't doing the remake.

 

[diunxx]

Fuck me.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

FUCK OFFFFFF

 

[minor effort]

no, no, no, no, no.

 

[Stinkles]

Nanotech?

Instead OF A METAPHOR?


Now I've heard it all.

edit: This could be awesome, in the other hand, if it's about a war against HD DVD proponents by evil Blu Ray monsters.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Long live the refresh!

Nanotech?

Instead OF A METAPHOR?

That's what the Robocop remake is going to be about as well. These remakes are going to date themselves more than the originals. At least Jason X used nanotech in a humorous way.

 

[Stinkles]

Long live the refresh!



That's what the Robocop remake is going to be about as well. These remakes are going to date themselves more than the originals. At least Jason X used nanotech in a humorous way.

Robocop makes sense, technologically. Videodrome was not about actual technology, it was an allegory.

 

[Father_Brain]

no no no no GOD NO

 

[Count Dookkake]

Robocop makes sense, technologically.

Kinda sorta.

I think it was also about the potentially dehumanizing effect of capitalism. When the police force becomes a private company and blah blah blah.

But I get what you are saying.

 

[Slurmer]

Long live the refresh!
.

 

[Kevtones]

Oh fuck this. I guarantee some bullshit CG new flesh to fuck it all up.

 

[BobFromPikeCreek]

What the fuck? Why?

 

[BobFromPikeCreek]

How much do you want to bet they replace the TV with internet?

 

[Dan]

WTF. Remaking my favorite film... with a script by Ehren Kruger :lol :angryface

The new picture will modernize the concept, infuse it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller.

These guys have no fucking clue what Videodrome was about, do they?

Hollywood is so goddamned creatively bankrupt.

 

[woxel1]

Scanners is next.

 

[wenis]

The pillaging of my childhood continues.

im frightened by the fact that videodrome was apart of anyones childhood. shit still gives me nightmares....

 

[Count Dookkake]

Scanners is next.

If they skipped Scanners and remade Scanner Cop instead, I would be okay with that.

 

[Dan]

Scanners is next.

Scanners and The Brood already have remakes in development. I recall rumors that Fox was considering redoing The Fly as well.

 

[FoneBone]

Scanners and The Brood already have remakes in development. I recall rumors that Fox was considering redoing The Fly as well.

The Fly wasn't a rumor; it was officially announced back in 2003. Needless to say, it's long since dead.

Scanners had a script, a director, and (at one point) a release date (Halloween 2008) at Lionsgate, but never got off the ground. Seems to be dead too.

 

[White Man]

:-/

Did anyone here read Tim Lucas's book about Videodrome? It's really good stuff.

Also:

Cronenberg has no role in the film as yet. He is prepping for MGM "The Matarese Circle" as a starring vehicle for Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Since Cruise appears likely to next star in the DreamWorks drama "Motorcade" and Washington has committed to the Fox drama "Unstoppable," "Circle" doesn't appear likely to get under way until later this year or 2010.

Seems like every time I see Cronenberg mentioned in a news story, there's a different movie mentioned as his current project.

 

[Dan]

:-/

Did anyone here read Tim Lucas's book about Videodrome? It's really good stuff.

Nope. I don't feel too bad though, seems it just came out last November.

Consider it bought through GAF

 

[Poimandres]

Hahaha! That's a good one!

I'm past the point of getting offended by these remakes, now they are a source of great amusement.

Oh, and NO ONE can out Cronenberg Cronenberg. His awesomeness is beyond reproach.

 

[Count Dookkake]

Seems like every time I see Cronenberg mentioned in a news story, there's a different movie mentioned as his current project.

Still sad we never got to see his version of Basic Instinct 2.

Just think how he would have topped the interrogation flash-o-vag...

 

[Dan]

Seems like every time I see Cronenberg mentioned in a news story, there's a different movie mentioned as his current project.

Pretty sure The Matarese Circle has been the only movie mentioned since Eastern Promises, aside from the very recent news that he's also developing a sequel to that one.

 

[White Man]

I actually watched Basic Instinct 2. What a ridiculous movie. The opening sequence is just so strikingly over the top. The My Year of Flops writeup of the flick also pointed out how it was so obviously a Sharon Stone vanity project. The cops, when talking about Stone's character, would be like "She's so sexy. And brilliant. We're never going to be able to stop her! And she doesn't look a day over 30!"

Pretty sure The Matarese Circle has been the only movie mentioned since Eastern Promises, aside from the very recent news that he's also developing a sequel to that one.

There was also A Map to the Stars, but from looking at wiki and imdb, that ain't happening any more. And he's been attached to the US Timecrimes remake.

 

[Dan]

A Map to the Stars was way back in the days after A History of Violence, and his followup was going to be either that or Eastern Promises.

But yeah, there was that mention from the Timecrimes director that Cronenberg might be interested in its remake. I'm pretty that's as far as it ever publicly got though.

 

[White Man]

I still have to check out Timecrimes. Every recommendation I've read makes it sound like I'd dig it. I've heard someone say it's PKDy.

 

[Count Dookkake]

I still have to check out Timecrimes. Every recommendation I've read makes it sound like I'd dig it. I've heard someone say it's PKDy.

Plus the director, Nacho Vigalondo, is a hilarious and friendly dude. I squared off against him in a summer camp challenge at a screening of Friday the 13th.

Spoiler

He ate a marshmallow that had been lodged in my throat.

He has many short films that can be seen on youtube. His sequels to Gremlins and Back to the Future are pretty much genius.

 

[White Man]

Also, the article says Universal had the rights to first refusal on a remake. How did Universal get those rights in the first place? Universal had nothing to do with the production of the film--they just distributed it. Is distribution such a big deal that they'd typically get remake rights? It's probably more along the lines that such rights weren't considered a very big deal in the early 80s, I guess.

 

[E-Mercenary]

I think this is pretty cool, I bet David Cronenberg might think that as well.

 

[Kevtones]

Cronenberg's next project should be a remake of the shitty Crash

 

[Count Dookkake]

Cronenberg's next project should be a remake of the shitty Crash

:lol

Would probably be something like They Live.

I'd rather see him return to Ballard and do High Rise or Concrete Island.

Or Super-Cannes.

 

[White Man]

I'd rather see him return to Ballard and do High Rise or Concrete Island.

 

[Dan]

Also, the article says Universal had the rights to first refusal on a remake. How did Universal get those rights in the first place? Universal had nothing to do with the production of the film--they just distributed it. Is distribution such a big deal that they'd typically get remake rights? It's probably more along the lines that such rights weren't considered a very big deal in the early 80s, I guess.

The producers tracked down the rights to Canadian distribution vet Rene Malo, who will be exec producer. Universal distributed the original and had first refusal on a remake, and the studio snapped up the opportunity.

Sounds to me like Universal only had first refusal for distributing the remake. The actual rights to produce the remake were in the hands of Rene Malo.

And Timecrimes is pretty good, check it out. It's out on DVD now.