Paul WS Anderson Talks Long Good Friday Exclusive: Director on his remake
The Long Good Friday is not only a jewel in the crown of British cinema, it's one of the best crime movies ever made. That's just true, you can ask anybody. So when it was announced it was being remade, many film fans were taken aback. When it was announced that directing duties would be taken by Paul WS Anderson (Alien Vs Predator, Resident Evil), many film fans turned purple and, in some cases, fell over. So, when we caught up with Mr Anderson recently, we had to give him the right to defend his remake. So, why do it at all?
"To win Oscars!" he laughed. "Actually, it’s one of my favourite films and I've been pursuing the rights to it for years and years, as have a lot of people, and Hand Made (who own the rights) turned them all down, including Martin Scorsese". Why, you may wonder, would anyone choose Anderson over Scorsese, for anything other than a 5-a-side football match? "I had a take on it that they really liked and I think they knew that I would respect the original movie enough to keep the essence of the original film".
Where the Bob Hoskins-starring 1980s original was set in the grubby world of London gangsters getting entangled with the IRA, Anderson's take is, predictably, relocating to somewhere altogether more glossy.
"It's not the IRA in ours, but it is another terrorist organisation, and we're doing it in Miami, so we're re-imagining it for America Otherwise the story beats and characters will pretty much play out. It will have the same human cortège scene at the start; the spitting in the face; he's been away somewhere, but it won’t have been to New York...I think the script [of the original film], Barrie Keeffe’s original screenplay, is so good. And the story is a great story with a great twist in it. And it's pretty remarkable that your lead character is a gangster and you really root for him. I think it's a great movie for a remake, because outside of the UK it's virtually unknown and it was very much a movie of its time. It really captured that London of that time in the same way we're hopefully going to capture Miami of right now".
Anderson is currently writing the script himself (!) and says he's not too far from finishing. "it's not going to be that hard. It’s like, what did Barrie Keeffe do?...It's not quite [a cut and paste job]. The dialogue will have to change... it's so East-End London. But the structure will be exactly the same, but instead of the grimy east end bathhouse it’ll be the super sleek pool at the Delano hotel".
We have to say, we're still hugely suspicious and don't see why the movie needs to be remade, since it being "of its time" is part of the attraction. The era it chronicled doesn't really exist anymore, what with 'the troubles' (Irish, not women's) having become less prominent in Britain. But could the fact that Anderson won the rights over anyone else mean he actually has something interesting to bring to it? We'll feel more reassured if he finds another role for Charlie from Casualty.
L: Slysaac
Cant believe they are reamking this let alone entrusting it to a man whose combined efforts in filmaking dont even muster up 10 of EMPIRES stars. What a joke. I for one will not be following productiuon, pre, post or anything thereafter. This film is hallowed to the point that my 15 year old sister recently watched it and immediately grabbed Mona Lisa and 24/7 off the shelf just to familiarise herself with Hoskins best work. Thank god i have funding for my film because by the ... Read More
This is the worst news I've heard all year. Why do they keep hiring him? Why? Surely enough people didn't go to AVP that studios have got the message. Surely. We need some kind of popular uprising. If he was a politician he'd have been assassinated by now. ... Read More
Yet another British classic about to be butchered. Did they not learn with GET CARTER that certain films work for a reason?
The original CARTER worked because Caine's character was ruthless,man or woman who got in his way they got their just desserts. And Newall made Newcastle the star,with his portrayal of working class Northereners.
Taking an original classic out of its original setting,a Cockney geezar capitalising on developing the London Docklands with the monetary help of the Mafia.Repl... Read More
OK Start saving your money now so that we can buy Satan a new pair of ice skates because HELL HAS SURELY FROZEN OVER if this hack has got his mitts on gangster movie gold. Why doesn't Anderson just take a piss on the Queen's face? I'd feel a damn sight less outraged by that. ... Read More
Surley everyone involved in this remake of the Long Good Friday dont undertand the orginal. The IRA is the main villian in the orginal nad they are slowly crushing Bob Hoskins empire. Its not just a mob film but afilm thatt touched on some key issues of its day. ... Read More
Just a list of the utter gash that Paul Wanker Shitface Anderson has put out to the world. Many reasons why film companies choose "cheap" over "talented".
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