So many actors and actresses have been linked with Spike Lee's "Oldboy" remake that we have trouble recalling which ones actually scored the roles but things look to be settling down with "District 9" star Sharlto Copley joining Josh Brolin, taking the villain role last week, while Elizabeth Olsen is eyeing the female lead. From early in its conception, the project has been noted as drawing more from the graphic novel source rather than being a direct remake of Park Chan-wook's film but the biggest question has always been where and how Mark Protosevich's script differs.
Speaking with SlashFilm for "Men In Black III," Brolin has taken the opportunity to clear up a few points noting, when asked about the possible changes, that, "Yes [we'll keep the hammer fight]. And it’s a hammer and knife and all that stuff. And then will we keep the octopus, will we keep the other stuff? There’s some changes but I think it’s really good. It still makes me throw down the script half way through. Whoa."
The hammer fight has gained quite a bit of notoriety since the release of Park's film namely for it's scrolling video game-esque take depicting protagonist Oh Dae-su brutally fighting through a hallway of dudes looking to take him out. But as producer Roy Lee said last fall, Spike will be making his own imprint on it. "There’s a sort of different interpretation of that hallway scene that is going to hopefully be Spike’s signature moment in the movie that we want to show in a way that we’ve never seen done in an action movie," Lee said.
However, Brolin also added that he has, in fact, requested and earned the approval of the original's helmer for Lee's remake. "I love 'Oldboy' and I’m close with Chan-wook Park and I emailed him a couple months ago, just asking for his blessing to do this movie because if he had said ‘No,’ I wouldnt have done it. But I really respect his movie and we’ll make a little different movie and this whole idea of a more Hollywood version of it? Whatever. We’re just going to make a different version but have respect to the initial story and premise. I’m looking forward to it, man. I’m talking about it nervously right now because it makes me nervous."
Brolin, Lee, Copley (and potentially Olsen) are certainly an exciting team and we're keen to see where things go — and just what these "new elements, new characters and new situations" are. Lensing begins in October.