Steven Spielberg And Will Smith Team Up For ‘Oldboy’ Remake

by Liam on November 8, 2008 · 6 comments

070213 hwl spielbergex According to Variety, Steven Spielberg and Will Smith are in early discussions to collaborate on a remake of Chan Wook-park’s Oldboy.

In the 2003 Korean original, a man gets kidnapped and held in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. Suddenly, he’s released and given money, a cell phone and clothes and is set on a path to discover who destroyed his life so he can take revenge. I haven’t seen the original, however it is ranked #117 on IMDB’s Top 250 movies, therefore it must be worth a view.

Spielberg had been looking for an opportunity to make a film with Smith, who would play the kidnapped man if all the pieces fall into place. Spielberg is currently looking for a writer to begin the development process.

Below is the trailer for the original Oldboy, so you can get an idea about what to expect.

  • Raz

    I have seen the original, and i doubt that the Americans are going to like it if they do not change the script at all.
    The whole story is about revenge, and a messed up one at that. But i have to say the Korean cinema has talent in the writing department.

  • Raz

    I have seen the original, and i doubt that the Americans are going to like it if they do not change the script at all.
    The whole story is about revenge, and a messed up one at that. But i have to say the Korean cinema has talent in the writing department.

  • Edley

    this will be rubbish. why cant americans write there own stories. why do they have to go and steal an amazing movie and screw it up all the time? i h8 u america!

  • Edley

    this will be rubbish. why cant americans write there own stories. why do they have to go and steal an amazing movie and screw it up all the time? i h8 u america!

  • Karah

    I can’t believe this. No disrespect to Spielberg or Smith -who are both immensely talented- but this is just ridiculous. Chan Wook-park’s vengeance trilogy is absolutely astounding in how they examine the dark nature of not only revenge but other human emotions and relationships. And speaking of relationships, *spoiler warning for those not familiar with the original* what is Will Smith going to do about discovering that he’s sleeping with his own daughter at the point of major revelation within the film? Or are they just going to ignore that (as well as the other incidents of incest so key to the original)?

    I’ve seen what American filmmakers are doing to amazing Korean films (fans of A Tale of Two Sisters who have seen the preview for The Uninvited, you know what I’m talking about) and I’m disgusted. Why can’t we just promote and get better distribution for these amazing foreign films, instead of making watered-down American versions?

  • Karah

    I can’t believe this. No disrespect to Spielberg or Smith -who are both immensely talented- but this is just ridiculous. Chan Wook-park’s vengeance trilogy is absolutely astounding in how they examine the dark nature of not only revenge but other human emotions and relationships. And speaking of relationships, *spoiler warning for those not familiar with the original* what is Will Smith going to do about discovering that he’s sleeping with his own daughter at the point of major revelation within the film? Or are they just going to ignore that (as well as the other incidents of incest so key to the original)?

    I’ve seen what American filmmakers are doing to amazing Korean films (fans of A Tale of Two Sisters who have seen the preview for The Uninvited, you know what I’m talking about) and I’m disgusted. Why can’t we just promote and get better distribution for these amazing foreign films, instead of making watered-down American versions?