American remake in the works for Battle Royale

Grand Theft Auto, Natural Born Killers, Bonnie and Clyde…ya’ll don’t know controversy like Battle Royale. For the uninitiated, Battle Royale is the cult classic featuring Japanese actor, director, wacky game show host Kitano Takeshi, and a cast of 42 middle-school students who are unknowlingly hauled off to a remote island, handed a weapon, and forced to pluck each other off until only one remains. Friends, enemies, unrequited 8th grade crushes, everyone is going down in a blaze of glory. This is all while being televised ala The Running Man or “reality TV gone too far” satire Series 7. Although never getting a wide release in U.S. theaters or dvd due to distribution issues and jarring content (though it is available online), this film has still managed to gain a rather enthusiastic and voracious following in the states. Now comes the news via Variety that (registration b.s. required) New Line studios is set to remake the film, yankee style. No director or actors have been named at this time. Know this. There’s no chance this will be a remake baring much resemblance to the original. In this post Columbine, post 9/11, post sense of humor America we’re hanging tough in, it just won’t fly without some major shift in concept. Look forward to schemes such as aging the teen competitors a good ten years at least, or by adding some zombified element. If I’m wrong, mark it down, because this film will bring the heat, from all sides, like never seen before. Left/right wing, the Parent Teachers Association, the YMCA, they’re all going to want to get a piece of Battle Royale. Am I exaggerating? Reference the trailer video for the original work in question.

tedzee | Permalink | June 8 2006 | Comments (View)