Sometimes, I am disappointed by the way news spreads online, and by which news becomes important. This week, Spike Lee’s name has been all over the news because of the announcement that he’s attached to the in-development remake of “Oldboy,” and it seems like everyone wrote about that. After all, “Oldboy” is a critical favorite, and whoever signs on to make that film is putting themselves in the hot seat right away. We wrote about it here, as well, so I’m not pointing fingers.
But the real Spike Lee news this week went largely unreported, and it’s embarrassing to see that the new community can’t at least match their excitement over a hypothetical remake when it comes to reporting on a new film by Lee that is actually shooting right now, especially since it’s a semi-sequel to his best film, “Do The Right Thing.”
Yes, that’s right. Mookie’s back. And it’s happening right now.
IndieWire first noticed that Lee had Tweeted about the 1st day of shooting on “THE NEW SPIKE LEE JOINT,” but it was Wilson Morales who connected the dots, and little wonder. Morales is the owner/operator of Blackfilm.com and he knows his subject. He is the hands-down authority when it comes to what’s going on in the world of black cinema, and he broke the story about what it is that Lee’s doing at the moment.
“Red Hook Summer” is reportedly the store of a guy from Atlanta who spends his summer in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, which would make sense based on the title, I suppose. What makes me sit up and take notice is the news that Lee will be appearing in the film as Mookie, the character he played in “Do The Right Thing.” The idea of checking in on Mookie a little over 20 years after the events of that film really appeals to me, and I like this type of follow-up, where it’s not commercially driven. This won’t just be the same exact story as “Do The Right Thing,” but rather a return to that area, and hopefully a look at what’s changed and what’s still the same.
It sounds like Lee is energized and excited by what he’s doing, and I always love it when he gets personal like this. Right now, there’s no word on who’s releasing the film or when we’ll see it, but it’s on my radar now and I can’t wait.