The decision-making process of The Weinstein Company within the past year has been exciting enough to watch with an oversize popcorn tub (with free refills!). After announcing they’d be cannibalizing their own library for remakes and sequels, they’re now announcing a new version of Akira Kurosawa’s iconic Seven Samurai.
Sacrilege? Not exactly. The Magnificent Seven was a hell of a movie, and A Bug’s Life was probably the best possible way to adapt the story for children of all ages, so remaking a high concept tale of honor and protection isn’t all that terrifying even if touching the legacy of Kurosawa might seem that way.
According to Cinema Blend, Scott Mann will be directing the movie. Here’s where the speculation comes in. Mann is a strong short film maker who has the awards to prove it, and his first feature film The Tournament is all action, all the time (with some Scott Adkins thrown in for good measure), so it’s unclear whether they’ll even attempt to bring nuance and calm character development to the story. Perhaps, the modernization of the setting will lend itself to non-stop beat downs. That would really be a shame. It would mean an In Name Only remake.
This news isn’t really all that moving one way or another. Maybe that’s the cynicism of the movie world we live in now (especially the world of Weinstein) or maybe it’s the optimism that we might get a great movie out of it (or still have the original to lose our minds over). Either way, what are the chances that it gets shelved for 5 years anyway?