Will Smith seems to be on a mission to destroy every film I've ever loved with a remake. At least, that's the only way to explain the upcoming Karate Kid reboot and his latest plans to film a new version of the South Korean film, Old Boy, with help from director Steven Spielberg.
Fortunately for me and other Old Boy fans, the unlikely pair are encountering some legal trouble along the way with the latter project. Although the original film was part of director Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Trilogy, it was actually based on a Japanese manga. Now Futabasha, the publishers of said manga, are filing a case against Show East, who released the movie, saying that they were not entitled to negotiate a remake in the first place.
To make matters worse, Show East is now reportedly bankrupt and its CEO conveniently M.I.A. -- two facts that might slow down legal proceedings.
Said a Futabasha spokesperson, "We haven't been able to confirm that Show East is bankrupt, and at this stage we're not sure what effect this will have on the legal case."
I'm hoping it means that Futabasha will eventually win and no Old Boy remake will ever taint the big screen with its presence.
For those of you who have seen Old Boy are you comfortable with the idea of a remake? Especially one helmed by Smith and Spielberg? I know I'm not.
