Between “Crazy Heart” and his forthcoming “Out Of The Furnace,” director Scott Cooper has attached himself to a lot of stuff. “Lie Down In Darkness,” “The Emperor’s Children” (previously a Noah Baumbach project,) a remake of “Carancho” and the Depression-era drama “The Road Home.” It’s quite a to-do list, and now he’s gone and added another to the pile.
Deadline reports that Cooper has signed up rewrite and direct “36th Precinct,” a remake of the Olivier Marchand‘s 2004 effort “36 Quai des Orfèvres.” As busy as he is, it may not be a bad idea at all; the original movie was a solid, if not particularly memorable procedural starring Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu. It concerned two cops who compete to bring down a criminal gang in order to secure promotion. The new version will center on the NYPD’s anti-terrorism unit, aiming for a more ripped-from-the-headlines feel we suppose.
“I don’t think many films are too ripe for remaking,” Cooper told HitFix about taking it on, adding that “The French Connection,” “Once Upon a Time in America” and “Se7en” will serve as inspiration. “Trying to remake ‘The Wild Bunch‘ or ‘Scarface‘ is a really bad idea, but this is a film that had certain elements that illuminate the human condition, which is something I look for in everything I do. And I don’t know that many people had seen this film or were aware of it. It easily translates to America and it was different than the other things I had considered; I never want to repeat myself.”
Meanwhile, “Lie Down In Darkness” will now be without Kristen Stewart. That’s right, even though she was announced as part of the cast last summer, Cooper tells HitFix “there was no truth to it.” The film is based on the book by William Styron and follows the travails of the Loftis family — Milton and Helen and their daughters, Peyton and Maudie — and is told through flashbacks on the day of Peyton’s funeral. Cooper is hoping to cast Peyton first, before figuring out who will play Maudie, the part linked to Stewart. Sorry Twihards.
“I wrote the script just after ‘Crazy Heart,’ but with that one, it really comes down to casting,” Cooper explained. “When you’re casting a family, all the elements have to come together perfectly and delicately. I’m in the process of talking to a number of actors and actresses.”
Ultra-busy and apparently attempting delicate perfection, you can Cooper’s latest effort “Out Of The Furnace” when it opens on August 4th.