JOSH BROLIN AS AN AMERICAN OLDBOY? YES, PLEASE

Were it not for Spike, I'd say this was a boring pick. But Brolin's square-jawed, grunty American machismo through Lee's lense? Very, very interesting.

A few days ago, I would've said I needed an Oldboy remake like I needed a swift downward stroke of a hammer on my knee.  But with Spike being attached, I went "...well, that actually...   ....."    And now Brolin's about as good a casting as you could hope for.   This is shaping up to be a really interesting remake.

Gotta say, not exactly thrilled with the prospect of Brolin playing unhinged. He's a fun leading man, but I don't think he has the chops to go on the sort of rollercoaster that Oldboy represents.

Denzel, all the way.

Asking if Denzel would do the "fucking his daughter" bit is moot anyway.  They've already stated that this will be a mixture of the original film, the manga it is based on, and new material.  Who knows what will end up carrying over beyond the basic plot and themes....

It's kinda not moot if that's one of the things being carried over.

Denzel for Oh Dae-su, Brolin for Lee Woo-jin (or whatever they get called in the Spike joint)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

It's kinda not moot if that's one of the things being carried over.

Yeah. It's one of the most powerful elements of OLDBOY.

Wasn't Nic Cage all over this at one point?

Cage would probably be pretty good, but this is too Cage-like, if you get my meaning. I think you need someone who would surprise the audience.

Tom Hanks!

Ron Perlman

I'm intrigued by Brolin and Spike, but still can't get excited about this.  I just don't see these big names keeping Oldboy's 'edginess' (read: incest) in a mainstream American release.   

But then again, I'm the asshole who likes Let Me In more than the original, so I'm always up for being pleasantly surprised.  We shall see.

Spike Lee is a big name? I could understand the concern if this were Spielberg's version going ahead, but I don't think  Lee would have any moral objections to including the incest angle.

I don't think Lee would neuter this thing himself like Spielberg probably would have, but I could still see studios balking at the fairly dark subject matter.   

They've hired Spike Lee. I think they know what they're getting into.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Merriweather 

It's kinda not moot if that's one of the things being carried over.

I just meant that it is moot to discount certain actors potential involvement due to that sequence when we don't even know if they will be using it.  It very well could (and should!) be carried over.

I like Brolin, both as a guy (even though he seems to be a bit of a goober) and an actor but I don't think he can pull it off. At least the cinematic version of Oldboy. 

I like Brolin a lot but Oh Dae Su, or Frank, or whatever he's going to be called needs to be played by someone whose transformation would come as more of a surprise. This should be a Walter White to Heisenberg sort of thing, but Brolin comes off as way too unhinged to pull that off.

As obvious as it is, I think Denzel would be an amazing choice. If it's still 15 years, I think he could play someone who goes in at 35 and comes out at 50 no problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evi 

I like Brolin a lot but Oh Dae Su, or Frank, or whatever he's going to be called needs to be played by someone whose transformation would come as more of a surprise. This should be a Walter White to Heisenberg sort of thing, but Brolin comes off as way too unhinged to pull that off.

 

If you would have told me a few years ago that MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE's Cranston was gonna star in an OLDBOY remake I'd have hit you in the face with a hammer. But if I read about it this morning I would eat a raw octopus to make it happen.