Spielberg to Remake Oldboy?!?

One of the true classics of modern cinema is Chan-wook Park’s dark movie Oldboy, unpleasant even by the standards of Korean horror. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that it’s something special and a one-off.

So it’s an obvious candidate for a big-budget Hollywood remake. And who better to make it than the king of schmaltz Steven Spielberg? Yep, unbelievable as it sounds Variety reports that Spielberg is in talks to remake Oldboy, possibly with Will Smith in the lead role.

Spielberg is certainly a skilled director and capable of producing suspense – Duel is a superb example. However in recent years he’s tended towards the saccharin with an annoying number of cute kids in his films (remember the appalling 2005 version of War of the Worlds?).

As for Smith, I think he’s great at tongue-in-cheek comedy (Independence Day, Men in Black) but far less impressive in straight dramatic roles.

It all sounds like a recipe for a disaster.