Mel Gibson to write/direct Wild Bunch remake!

[soFlaNative]

Goggled actors in their 50's. Felt a bit sordid but I'm watching the new Magnum PI, so what?
Found a few who aren't dummies who can dial in an edge.
Viggo Mortensen
Steve Buscemi
Kevin Spacey
Gary Oldman
Dennis Quaid
Antonio Banderas


Just some of the previous few posts, this could work.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I'd sooner go see a Tom Cruise movie.

 

[chopshopcop]

I'm also not fond of remakes, especially iconic movies like this one. I didn't watch the remakes of True Grit, Red Dawn, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Ghostbusters, or several others that have been done.

There are some movies that you just don't mess with. Although I'll give Mel Gibson credit, he does make good movies, he could be the only one that pulls it off. For me it all depends on two things. Since he's co-writing the script, how true will he stay to the original story and who he chooses for the cast.

If he strays off the original too much, it'll be The Wild Bunch in name only. Without a strong and credible cast, that's a deal breaker. Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, Tommy Lee Jones, Viggo Mortenson, all excellent choices though. If these guys got it together, I could make an exception to watching a remake, at least once anyway.

I'd include William Fichtner, I think he could pull off Deke Thornton. Right age group, damn fine actor.

 

[jpage]

No one on earth could replace Ben Johnson. The chemistry between Lyle and Tector Gorch, and the rest of the bunch, made the movie special.

 

[Ranger514]

Since it was a story about the end of an era of aging outlaws, I hope Gibson includes some of the older actors previously mentioned to follow that line. I could see Kurt Russell playing the role of Pike. Add Jeff Bridges into the mix of actors. I'll take a chance and see it, if Gibson doesn't butcher the plot.

 

[RobertJ.]

I love threads like this!

How many here, who are having a fit about a possible remake, enjoy the movie "Tombstone"?

When they first came up with the idea for "Gunfight at OK Corral", I can just hear it: "You'll NEVER replace Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp!" and "Re-make a John Ford? Are you crazy?"

If it's a good story, it can be re-told. With the right director and actors, it can be a really good movie, regardless of opinions to the contrary.

The proof will be in the watching.

 

[Gulfecho]

I respect your opinion.

This forum isn't the place for me to get into Mel Gibson's well documented personal history of misogyny, prejudice, and hate.

In my opinion, personal/individual boycotts are a total waste of time, and the cause of useless Internet rants, but Mel Gibson and anything associated with him will never get one cent of my money.

I agree but can't hold myself back. Wrote Mel Gibson off a short time ago after his 3rd DUI and incoherent, anti-Semitic opinions. He couldn't best a Looney Tunes cartoon. I'm done.

 

[Watchdog]

I'd sooner go see a Tom Cruise movie.

There's a difference between a Tom Cruise film and a Mel Gibson film?

 

[Gulfecho]

He received an Oscar nomination for directing Hacksaw Ridge, a great movie.

If one was to take notice,"Hacksaw Ridge" was the antonym for Gibson's beliefs and opinions.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I sure don't know. But watching most remakes, Stage Coach, Lonesome Dove, Etc. I doubt they will catch on. Just my opinion.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Setting aside any doubts about Mel's ability-which Is quite good in my view, the big question from my prospective is who will he get to "replace" Wm. Holden, et al?????

 

[dr. mordo]

No one on earth could replace Ben Johnson. The chemistry between Lyle and Tector Gorch, and the rest of the bunch, made the movie special.

I agree, they are brilliant. Both Johnson and Oates are very underrated.

But I have to say Borgnine and Holden are also utterly brilliant. I think this was the movie where I realized that I love Ernest Borgnine.

I do think there's a crop of great current actors who could do it. I think my ideal cast would be:

Ed Harris - Pike Bishop
Tommy Lee Jones - Dutch Engstrom
Kurt Russell - Tector Gorch
Viggo Mortenson - Lyle Gorch

I can't decide who would play the Robert Ryan role of Deke Thornton. It's such a conflicted character. I think maybe Russell Crowe would be my pick.

 

[swsig]

I agree that it would be impossible to improve on the original. It would be like trying to remake Casablanca, A Night at the Opera, or A Star is Born. (Oops! Scratch that last one. Version #4 coming up!)

If Mel insists on making it, here is one actor who should absolutely be in the movie: Danny Trejo.

 

[Absalom]

The original was an "original" not so much because of the story, but the way Peckinpah told it and his directing methods. It is a Peckinpah film first and foremost, and a western second.

For a 1969 western, the violence and slow-motion death was shocking; this was a time when in American westerns people got shot and mostly just fell over or off a horse.

Nowadays, this seems just quaint given the routine butchery in most so-called "action movies". Any remake might tell the story and be well-done, but it will inevitably miss what the original was all about.

Besides the remake of "The Getaway", not one of Peckinpah's masterpieces to start with, has there been a remake of any of his classics?

 

[Kmcmichael]

Although I loved the original, The remake of True Grit was a great movie.

No one is perfect. Everyone has prejudices. We all have evil deep inside.

Braveheart was one of the greatest movies ever filmed.

I often feel that movies can ruin the memory of a book. Unbroken comes to mind. I did not want to watch Lonesome Dove at first, as the book was so good, it turned out pretty well.

 

[vonn]

3:10 to Yuma was remade and I thought it turned out ok so I am not against remakes because there are really only so many basic stories but it would not be easy to match the original. Jane Fonda is the only actor/actress I boycott,figure they are all flakey,some more than others.

 

[derek45auto]

Silver rings !

 

[-db-]

Well, if anyone were able to do a remake of a film like The Wild Bunch and do it justice, it's Mel Gibson, probably the greatest filmmaker alive, God bless him.

 

[ditrina]

Just thinking about this made me vomit up a beer and a bag of Cheetos. Barely made it to the bathroom on time.

This would be like trying to remake Shane. Or High Noon. Or Unforgiven. Or even A Fistful of Dollars.

Mel Gibson? Ol' Bravefart himself? No. Just no.

Surely no one will be stupid enough to bankroll such an abomination. Sam Peckinpah and Warren Oates will rise from their graves and kill everyone they even suspect of being associated with something like this.

PLEASE.. Do not hold back, tell us how you REALLY feel

 

[Rammer Jammer]

Rarely does remaking a classic turn out well. Great movies should be left alone for what they are. The Coen Brothers did a great job with True Grit, but it can be hard to come up with other examples of remakes doing a good if not better job.

I don't trust Mel Gibson to do it right. This is the guy that made Braveheart which is completely inaccurate. Just one example is the Battle of Sterling...Bridge. The historical battle centered around the Scots bottlenecking the English on a bridge. Yet 'ole Mel filmed a battle scene with nary a bridge in sight.