Battle Royale, American Style

Just another remake. Although I agree, I don't think they'll be able to carry over ANY of what made that film great.

No, they're all imports.

Ummm...yeah it has. Well, I got it from Netflix so I assume it has anyway.

Ah. My bad. Thanks!

What are the odds that this semi-classic becomes a PG-13 Americanized fiasco?

2-1 by my guestimation.


Odds someone makes a Diva/Battle Royale joke?

1-1

From the little I've seen of the original (at least I think it was Battle Royale - bunch of high school kids killing each other on an island right?) the low budget somewhat limits the intensity and realism of the carnage, so maybe a very hard R Hollywood version could bring something to the table. I demand a meaty role for Riki Takeuchi though.

Death Surge is right.

I doubt they'll have the same amount of violence as the original, even if they get someone like Paul Verhoeven.

Imagine the stars of those OC style teenage shows getting graphically murdered. All of them. Or imagine Dakota Fanning with a machete. I know it's not going to happen, but if Diva can pretend it's just an action film then we can pretend the remake won't suck.

You should REALLY watch it again...the whole thing.

So I imagine U.S. version will have James VanDerBeek shooting Tom Welling with a bow and arrow? We could hope for Dakota Fanning poisoning all of her friends in a lighthouse...but I doubt we would get that.

God, this is just... wow. So, let's see:

- the kids will probably be at least twentysomethings
- criticism on the government? Probably not.
- PG-13 is looming

Yay, another winner from the producers of Stealth.

If this stays even remotely true to the novel or film, the uproar from the American people will be of truly biblical proportions. Hell, I'll probably look forward more to watching people get their panties all up in a twist than the (likely) crap remake itself... although the idea of watching WB stars graphically murder each other for 2 hours warms my heart. Nah, with Columbine still fresh in alot of people's minds, this'll never play in the sticks.

You could sell it as a 'look what happens when kids don't respect their parents' cautionary tale. Surbanites are terrified of their kids. The worse the kids on screen act, the more the old people will think they are right to fear them. Old people (anyone over 25 with a job) love having their fears confirmed.

I thought she could only scream.

Sounds as useless as the pulse remake does. Incidentally, the Pulse remake looks completely useless and insulting to thoughtful American horror fans. But I could be wrong.

I don't get it.

There... now it's out of the way.

You're not wrong...but it's not for thoughtful American horror fans. It's for teenagers who luurve Veronica Mars and thought Hide & Seek was deep & thoughtful.

I've got to agree with this. You can't make anything these days without the bibical media latching onto it and taking it for a ride.

In this case, it could be bigger than just the bible freaks going at it.

Even "Elephant" got released with little or no "Too Soon!" cries. The surrealistic nature of this film's premise lends itself to be dismissed as an Orwellian daydream, instead of something the bible thumpers need to rail against.

They will make an American fuck-up of it, regardless.

Have you heard of James Dobson?

I get the feeling they're going to keep the game intact but remove the kids entirely. I'm not sure what they'd put in their place - death row inmates, maybe?

Holy crao I can see them doing that. And the on guy who's innocent is the guy who's gonna survive.

I just made myself sad.

Wow... you're probably right.

The crack-pots protested "Beauty and the Beast" because of the implied references to bestiality. You need a "Da Vinci Code" to get them out en-mass.

That sounds like the plot from No Escape, featuring Ray Liotta.
Still, they're gonna dilute the form and substance of the movie beyond anything remotely familiar.

By making it even more over the top than the original so in their defence (and in order to get it greenlit in the first place) they can claim its just a fantastical heightened version of reality. A more subtle and 'realistic' version of the film would be more disturbing and compelling, but chances of us getting anything like that are slim indeed.

When Battle Royale first came out, I had this smug content feeling that at least this film would never be remade by the USA, oh how naive I was back then.

That's a great graphic, Alex.

That seems unlikely. That would make it an entirely different film, and would leave little reason to use the title. Much less chance of generating a "must see" phenomenon if they do that.

I think you're thinking of them trying to market this remake to us. Few remakes are ever marketed to core fans of the originals. But on to your post point by point -

Why couldn't they use the title? Prisons are overcrowded, appeals processes are taking too long, yada yada yada, so the government institutes the BR Act and has the prisoners go out and do they exact same thing as the kids. They're going to market this as a bloody action film most likely and if that's the case it doesn't matter who's popping who. The core elements will remain: A group of people that need to be thinned out; take em to an island; tell them to kill each other or die. That base works no matter who the participants are. Promise a lot of violence and a lot of action and it becomes must-see. Not saying it becomes good, but the mainstreamers will line up for it.

The thing is though that part of the film's gimmick is that the characters aren't some hardened cons but high school kids. If they just use the cast of Oz then the film loses a lot of its uniqueness and edge and therefore controversy and marketing buzz. I don't think the emotional impact of killing some serial rapist is the same as offing one's classmate.

Even the mainstream exercises some selectivity about which films they make blockbusters. Stay Alive, Slither, and See No Evil apparently have plenty of violence, but didn't exactly set the box office on fire.

Right, but as has been stated above, an American movie where High School kids kill each other (as ordered by the Government, no less) isn't gonna stand. Stay Alive was CRAP and only appealed to gamers, Slither was EXCELLENT but didn't have the greatest marketing and really only attracted the geeks and See No Evil was WWE Films first (IIRC) attempt at a major release. This remake is going to (in theory) be marketed to the mainstream audience and the kid aspect probably won't fly here.

And actually, to a lot of people (not to slam her or pour salt in a wound, but Diva for instance) the gimmick is the game. The gimmick is "Let's put all these people in a situation and make them have to kill each other. I'm not saying they're going to use ex-cons, it's just the first thing I thought of as a substitute for the kids.

And this: "I don't think the emotional impact of killing some serial rapist is the same as offing one's classmate." Don't forget what audience is generally considered mainstream. Middle-America. Right-wingers. Conservatives...hell yeah they'd rather see a serial rapist take a crossbow to the nuts then see two kids kill each other.

I get what you're saying, but that's why I said there's no point in remaking Battle Royale unless it's Battle Royale. Just call it something else in that case. It's like pitching a new James Bond film, only suggesting the role be played by Estelle Getty. Not quite the same thing.

There are already all kinds of horror flicks about young people getting murdered. Middle america liked Freddy Vs, Jason and the Texas Chainsaw remake enough to propel them both over $80 million.

As for calling the game the gimmick, that sort of "most dangerous game" shtick has been done to death already and isn't likely to turn many heads.

But plug in Hilary Duff and company and I bet there would be serious buzz.

Now who's gonna play the furious tutorial narrator? Sheri Moon?

Alright, check this: If they can't bring themselves to use high school students in the Royale, they use Soccer Moms! Start the movie with the Moms feeding their kids breakfast and then follow them as they all pile into their SUVs to head to spin class... except they never make it to the gym and are instead abducted to the island. It'd be brilliant, I tell you, watching their thin veneers of civility melt away as nails are broken, lattes are unsipped, and heads are lopped off. Plus, in a major marketing coup, the movie would appeal to both gore hounds and fans of "Desperate Housewives." New Line couldn't miss with this concept.

i honestly didn't think the original was as shocking or disturbing as so many people were characterizing it to me. it had a few great moments but they kind of got lost to me when the movie chose to become more action oriented than dramatic. don't worry i know its a silly concept for a movie, but i was expecting more. as far as an american remake, they have to keep kids as the br participants, it plays great to teens all over. teens love to see themselves being oppressed by the grown up world they did not create, think this is a bad idead for a remake? it seems kinda similar to red dawn except with a liberal slant, this is a great idea for an event picture, if you love the original so much don't worry its not going anywhere and may get an official us release because of this.

I like it. Could be the sequel.

Well, looks like I was wrong.

Still going to suck, obviously, but color me surprised they're using kids in the story (although they're probably college kids).

There could be a very good post-columbine movie here. But I doubt that's how it will pan out.

It would still be a million times better than Battle Royale 2.

Well, thank you kindly.

Wait. How come Desslar, who hasn't seen the film all the way through is the chief defendant of the original. And to be honest I thought the film was pretty brutal and intense enough. The point of the film wasn't about chocking up good kills, unless you're Diva.

And I'll defend Battle Royale 2 simply for Riki Takeuchi's 'Merry Christmas'.

I've got one of these t-shirts, it's actually not as great as that graphic might suggest. And if you watch SHAUN OF THE DEAD, they've got a poster of the Battle Royale girl up in the living room.

I don't really understand why Battle Royale's never received a dvd release in the US, even though the violence is quite extreme, it's pretty cartoonish. Did it get shown theatrically?

And there better be a bodycount. And awards. Like

"excellent", "impressive", "godlike" and "mo-mo-mo-monsterkill!!!!"

Yeah, I might have to break down and get an album someday.