Josh Brolin continues to book the most interesting jobs out there, and in this particular case, it sounds like he’s claimed one of the best roles in an upcoming film for himself.
It’s a good fit, too. I love Chan Wook Park’s “Oldboy.” No doubt about it. The film is brutal and unsparing, and it offers up two great male roles if you’re sticking somewhat close to the first film. I haven’t read the manga that the film was based on, but I’ve heard it’s not a straight adaptation. That makes me wonder if Mark Protosevich is using the film as his source material or the manga or some combination of both.
I was intrigued when they hired Spike Lee to direct the remake, precisely because it’s one of the last names I would have come up with if asked to pick someone to remake “Oldboy.” I think the best thing that could happen to Spike Lee in general would be if he became a for-hire studio guy, making movies that have nothing to do with race in any overt way. He’s visually dynamic and adventurous, he’s great with actors, and he is capable of absolutely nailing a script if he’s got a strong piece of writing to work with in the first place. With Protosevich working on the film, that’s a strong start, and I think Lee could easily turn this into something worth seeing.
Hiring Josh Brolin to star in the film is a huge step in the right direction. I know Brolin has been one of the names under consideration for a while now, and while I can’t confirm that they’ve closed his deal, that’s what Deadline is reporting today. Brolin’s wrapping up work right now on “Men In Black 3,” where he’s playing the young Tommy Lee Jones, and then he heads right into “Gangster Squad,” which just bulked up its already great ensemble with Nick Nolte.
It looks like they’re hoping to shoot “Oldboy” at the start of the year, so if Brolin’s deal is indeed closed, we should see him, his hammer, and a whole hallway full of pain sometime towards the end of 2012. Can’t wait.