When films become a regional phenomenon in Japan, France or other countries outside of the USA, plans for a Hollywood remake are just around the corner. The record of these new editions is mixed. Nevertheless: In 2008, one of the best directors of the present day was working on the remake of one of the best films of the decade. Steven Spielberg wanted to remake Oldboy with Will Smith in the lead.
Steven Spielberg and Oldboy? The strange plan behind Revenge Remake
In 2003, Park Chan-wook had a surprise hit with Oldboy. In the brutal revenge epic, the main character is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years. When Oh Dae-su (Min-sik Choi) is suddenly released one day, he wants revenge and find out who was responsible for his fate. Oldboy is part of the so-called Vengeance Trilogy and also developed into a cult film outside of South Korea.
At first glance, the oldboy motifs hardly fit Steven Spielberg, even though he was in a dark phase of his career in the mid-00s, as e.g. 2005’s War of the Worlds shows. In 2008, five years after Oldboy, plans became public that Spielberg wanted to do a remake starring Will Smith. Smith had just had a successful foray into harder genre territory with I Am Legend.
However, as reported by IndieWire, the plans never went beyond loose talk. Spielberg’s production company tried unsuccessfully to acquire the rights to the story, and the project fizzled out. It was probably for the better.
Would Will Smith have been up to the legendary octopus scene?
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Spielberg, it was said, would have stayed true to the film’s raw tone. But would Will Smith have been up to the hard stuff? The superstar is known for reshaping roles to reflect his family-friendly image. For example, an engagement in Quentin Tarantino’s bloody western Django Unchained failed.
The lead role in Oldboy should have been completely reworked and blurred by Smith. But who wants to see a soft oldboy? Just think of the legendary octopus scene. Oldboy actor Min-sik Choi eats a real, live animal in a sushi restaurant, which is why the scene is extremely controversial. It was created without CGI. Can you imagine Will Smith with a twitching octopus leg in the corner of his mouth?
The Oldboy remake without Steven Spielberg and Will Smith flopped
The Oldboy remake was made five years later, but without Steven Spielberg and Will Smith. Spike Lee directed and Josh Brolin slipped into the lead role. With limited success: the film gobbled up a $30 million budget and only grossed a little over $5 million. A poor record. That cup has passed Spielberg and Smith.
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