Topic: Edgar Wright directing The Running Man remake

[surreal]

https://www.darkhorizons.com/edgar-wright-to-helm-new-running-man/

Excited for this, I think he'll be perfect to go back and work from the original material but still maintain enough humour and an edge to it.  Be interesting to follow the casting of this.  It's going to be difficult to get our of Arnie's shadow regardless of how good it is.

Trying to think of other examples of movies that have been remade after the original version was considered a campy joke of a film and actually got done right?

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Casino Royale.

[surreal]

Good call

[Bazooka]

I don't like anything he's ever done, personally. But always an open mind.

[bgmnts]

Love Edgar Wright's films personally, even the ones I dont like have something about them.

If he sticks to the source material and its not just another shit 80s nostalgia effort I'll definitely give it a watch. Would love to the full on depressing ending. Unsure if Wright can do that kind of film but I'll be happy to watch it.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz never really clicked with me, not really my kind of humour/style, but I liked Baby Driver and I like his overall approach to filmmaking so I'm quite hopeful. I mean, the original isn't a masterpiece, it's just cheesy 80s Arnie nonsense that I love more for nostalgic reasons.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Much like Total Recall or the Pink Panther reboot, it just seems unnecessary as it was nailed the first time.

[bgmnts]

Much like Total Recall or the Pink Panther reboot, it just seems unnecessary as it was nailed the first time.

For the reasons stated I actually think it would be good to have a remake that was faithful to the source material, and have a different kind of film.

[druss]

"Edgar Wright? Now Edgar Wrong!".

[PlanktonSideburns]

love the miserable furious tone of the book. would love to see someone completley barking like craig zahler have a go on it

mel gibson actually, changed my mind

[Goldentony]

always wondered what Running Man would be like if it was complete fucking shit

[mothman]

Series 7: The Contenders but with more pop culture references.

[BlodwynPig]

always wondered what Running Man would be like if it was complete fucking shit

yup.. No need for a remake, especially from this has-been.

[Gulftastic]

Not a remake. It's another version of the source material.

[BlodwynPig]

Not a remake. It's another version of the source material.

slightly better.

[Sebastian Cobb]

For the reasons stated I actually think it would be good to have a remake that was faithful to the source material, and have a different kind of film.

So basically a more po-faced version that works as a moody scifi but is let down by being far less fun than the 80's one?

[chveik]

there really is a shortage in stephen king adaptations these days

[bgmnts]

So basically a more po-faced version that works as a moody scifi but is let down by being far less fun than the 80's one?

Well yeah would be nice to have a really depressing film to balance out the absurd Arnie vehicle.

I love Running Man and reference it at least once a week I'm sure, but would love a semi faithful adaptation.

[Goldentony]

Not a remake. It's another version of the source material.

really weird, short film about a cokehead crashing a helicopter might be alright to be fair

[beanheadmcginty]

I hope they get Mick Fleetwood back for it. And Jesse Ventura.

[Goldentony]

go deeper into the lore of Climbing For Dollars

[dissolute ocelot]

It's an idea that's been filmed lots of times, killing people for TV ratings, almost Battle Royale or Hunger Games with adults, it's misleading to consider it a remake. If it's better than Gamer, it's doing OK.

[Dusty Substance]

So basically a more po-faced version that works as a moody scifi but is let down by being far less fun than the 80's one?

Nah. Edgar Wright doesn't do po-faced. His films too frenetic and meta to be po-faced.

TBH, I wouldn't be surprised if, in a year or so, Wright leaves the project due to "creative differences".

[greenman]

Nah. Edgar Wright doesn't do po-faced. His films too frenetic and meta to be po-faced.

TBH, I wouldn't be surprised if, in a year or so, Wright leaves the project due to "creative differences".

It does seem a bit of an odd choice though as Wrights films are more towards "joyous" than cynical.

I would question the idea that "serious" films are politically more scathing though, the Robocop and Total Recall remakes for me example I think are much less critical of the established order than Verhoeven's originals and the Running Man is the same for me, its maybe a cartoonish world but where the US is a facist hell hole and the entertainment industry is full of evil sociopathic yuppies who Arnie teams up with a guy who looks like Che to defeat.

Those 80's films aren't really just based on "one bad egg" kind of villians but on pointing out the flaws in capitalist culture as a whole.

[Retinend]

The original is considered "a joke of a film" now? I loved it growing up - it was one of my favourite Schwarzenegger films. The notion of KILLING people for MONEY as an audience CLAPPED absolutely blew my teenaged mind. Obviously, with adult eyes it's very tongue-in-cheek, but, as Tim Heidecker said "teenagers need deep shit too".

Wright is a good action director, as well as having the comedy chops to pull off the combination of violence and satire. Wright up my alley.

[phantom_power]

His next film, One Night in SoHo, sounds a bit darker than his previous films, and he is still pretty early in his career to be pigeon-holed, despite his other films so far having a similar feel

[Gulftastic]

The original is considered "a joke of a film" now? I loved it growing up - it was one of my favourite Schwarzenegger films. The notion of KILLING people for MONEY as an audience CLAPPED absolutely blew my teenaged mind. Obviously, with adult eyes it's very tongue-in-cheek, but, as Tim Heidecker said "teenagers need deep shit too".

Not to me. It's part of Ahnuld's run of shit but brilliant films from that era. It was right at the end of that phase, before nearly every film had to have him as the hero chumming around with some yank brat (or brats).

[Mr Trumpet]

The way Fireball in the original says "last season's losers" is one of my favourite line readings in all of cinema. It's pretty much the only thing he says in the entire film as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQiNYtkwuyw

[Blumf]

Never 100% got on with any of Wright's stuff, so not looking forwards to this.


"That's the ticket! No pain, no gain"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LazUZz3K6IY

[Attila]

The original is considered "a joke of a film" now? I loved it growing up - it was one of my favourite Schwarzenegger films. The notion of KILLING people for MONEY as an audience CLAPPED absolutely blew my teenaged mind. Obviously, with adult eyes it's very tongue-in-cheek, but, as Tim Heidecker said "teenagers need deep shit too".

Wright is a good action director, as well as having the comedy chops to pull off the combination of violence and satire. Wright up my alley.

I'm curious to see who would play the big television executive -- for American audiences, Richard Dawson was a great in-joke, as he was riding high at the time as a beloved game-show host (Family Feud). It would be the equivilent of casting Bruce Forsythe or Chris Tarrant (depending on your era) as the evil head of game-show programming.