Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake is heading to theaters in the United States next October, the Los Angeles Times reports. In a little under 12 months, fans of the South Korean thriller will be able to see how the American retelling stacks up against the original.
The director’s remake of the cult favorite has been a topic of much heated debate on various film-oriented websites. Fans of the original film are a devoted lot, and the idea of their favorite flick getting the remake treatment has not settled well with quite a few people. Of course, once the film finally arrives in theaters, people can argue about which version is better.
During an interview on the Empire Podcast , Oldboy co-star Elizabeth Olsen explained that Spike Lee isn’t trying to improve upon the original film.
“It’s not trying to redo [Chan-wook’s] film – it’s coming at it from a different point of view,” Olsen explained. “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.”
The film, which was penned by I Am Legend scribe Mark Protosevich, casts No Country for Old Men star Josh Brolin in the role of an advertising executive who finds himself imprisoned without explanation for several years. After being freed by his anonymous captor, the man sets out to locate the individuals responsible for the kidnapping. Of course, the truth behind his mysterious abduction is much more disturbing than he initially realizes.
In addition to Josh Brolin and Silent House star Elizabeth Olsen, director Spike Lee’s remake features the talents of District 9 star Sharlto Copley, James Ransone, and Samuel L. Jackson. Unless something goes haywire between now and then, Oldboy will find its way into theaters on October 11, 2013.
