Elizabeth Olsen Discusses The Changes Spike Lee Made To ‘Oldboy’

Elizabeth Olsen, rising Hollywood star and the younger sister of fashion designers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, recently discussed the changes director Spike Lee made to the upcoming remake of the South Korean thriller Oldboy. According to Cinema Blend, the American retelling of this dark and dreary revenge saga has a few notable differences than its foreign counterpart, alterations that Lee reportedly made in order to separate the feature from the original film.

During her interview on the Empire Podcast, Elizabeth Olsen discussed why Spike Lee’s version of Oldboy isn’t trying to compete with or replace Park Chan-wook’s original creation.

“It’s not trying to redo [Chan-wook’s] film – it’s coming at it from a different point of view. As well as focusing on the primary source of the Korean film, for our film there’s also the Japanese Manga, so we’re using the primary source of the illustrated novel, really,” Olsen explained.

The Silent House star also revealed that the advances of modern technology have forced the filmmakers to approach the story from a slightly different angle. Although the tale has been reworked slightly for American audiences, the core story is essentially still intact.

Internet Movie Database describes the film’s plot as follows:

“An everyday man has only five days and limited resources to discover why he was imprisoned in a nondescript room for 15 years without any explanation.”

In addition to Olsen, Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake also features Josh Brolin, Samuel L. Jackson, and District 9 star Sharlto Copley, the latter of whom will tackle the role of Adrian Pryce. The film, which is currently in pre-production, is expected to arrive in US theaters sometime next year.

Released in South Korea in 2003, the original Oldboy quickly became a cult favorite when it arrived on DVD in the United States. Although the idea of a sequel may sound like blasphemy to some, it will be interesting to see what Spike Lee does with the material.

Are you excited about the Oldboy remake despite the changes detailed by co-star Elizabeth Olsen?