Variety reports that Rob Marshall has been signed to direct a remake of Ingmar Bergman’s iconic Hour of the Wolf. Called simply Wolf!, it will star Keanu Reeves and Rachel McAdams. In the screenplay, by veteran scribe Joe Esterhaus, Reeves plays research chemist Rick Borg, whose studies of psychotropic drugs leads to harrowing hallucinations for himself and his pregnant wife. The location has been changed from a remote Swedish island to Manhattan Island in New York State.
Marshall spoke from a Hollywood soundstage, where he was looping dialog for Nine, his musical version of Fellini’s 8½:
“I have great confidence in the intelligence of our target audience. They want to be challenged intellectually and be entertained at the same time. I think Joe’s screenplay fits the bill: it’s full of suspense and food for thought, too. And there’s a surprise twist at the end that you’ll never see coming.”
When asked about the wisdom of tampering with the legacy of a certified master, he replied:
“Hey, I’m fearless! Didn’t I just do the same to Fellini? Seriously, though, there’s nothing sacred about Bergman, or Fellini or even Kurosawa. Their works are timeless classics, but they were working directors just like me or D.J. Caruso. All we’re doing is updating them for a younger audience, which demands more sophisticated technology, like color and CGI. Wait until you see those CGI wolves!”
Asked about his offhand reference to Kurosawa, Marshall said “no comment.” Shooting on Wolf! is scheduled to begin in April of 2010.
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I would totally go see this. And I will, because it’s being made and will come out next year! Thanks for the scoop, Rick!
You totally had me fooled.
Not that that’s difficult. I’m just saying. Well done.
Maybe he can do a musical version of “The 400 Blows”, and it can be his “Tarted up foreign arthouse classic remake” trilogy.
Did you guys know that the screenplay for Nine was written by Anthony Minghella and Michael Tolkin? That’s an odd pairing.
Bill, you’re welcome. This is just the kind of project we all should get behind. Seriously — I wish there were more Rob Marshall’s of the world. So if you’re a lawyer for Mr. Marshall masquerading as my friend Bill, please don’t sue me.
Craig, thanks. If I can fool you …
Ryan, I just KNOW Criterion will want to do the box set.
Bill, actually, it’s a film of a hit Broadway musical from the ’80s, based on a play by Mario Fratti, which was in turn inspired by the film. Wikipedia says that the musical opened in 1982 and ran for 729 performances. It won the Tony that year for best musical.
Yeah, I was pretty sure it was a play first, but still, the pairing of Minghella and Tolkin on the script seems strange to me. I don’t know why.
Anyway, I will see the movie because of Daniel Day-Lewis. He makes it a must-see, I’m afraid.
Actually, Minghella was slated to direct before he croaked.
And I will see it too, but I still think Day-Lewis is horribly miscast. I have such fond memories of Mastroianni in the role.
John Stamos, from “Full House”, played the role on broadway after Antonio Banderas left the show. I think we can all agree that Day-Lewis can’t possibly be a worse Guido than Uncle Jesse.
No, I suppose not …
I think Day Lewis may be miscast in “Nine” but I’m going to give him a shot.
The original actor cast, Javier Bardem, would have been a better choice,but oh well.
Pat, Bardem apparently dropped out because of “exhaustion,” but maybe he had second thoughts. Anybody who’s seen the original knows that the role and Mastroianni are welded together.
Rick, you’re a saucy devil.
I was just gonna say, I hope Rob Marshall doesn’t see this…and then I got to the bottom and found the disclaimer.
Even though I’ve only viewed CHICAGO (in terms of his filmography) I adore it so fully that I can barely put it into words. So I will defend Mr. Marshall to the death. I swear to God, I was really frantic when I found out that he was directing that film. CHICAGO was essentially his motion picture debut. He had done some TV stuff. But that’s it.
The fact that he was not only able to do justice to one of the great musicals but that he did it with his own personal flair (and it WORKED…) is nothing short of a minor miracle.
The ideal thing, of course, would have been for Fosse to direct. But that never would have happened. It’s about as likely as Marcello starring in NINE.
Movies may be about illusion. But life is about reality. 24/7.
All things considered, I think we’ve been extraordinarily lucky on both ends of the lollipop. If this is what we have to work with, this is about as good as it gets.
Much as I adore you and Pat, Rick (and of course Craig…I don’t know Bill that well) I’d politely and graciously take the opposing side against DDL being miscast.
I do think Antonio Banderas or Javier Bardem would have more suited to this particular role…ON THE SURFACE. DDL has an exceptional range. He may not be the first person we think of when we imagine the quintessential Guido. But I seriously doubt that he’ll disappoint.
Ryan, you are too funny. Uncle Jesse as Guido??? You crack me up, boy.
The ideal thing, of course, would have been for Fosse to direct. But that never would have happened. It’s about as likely as Marcello starring in NINE.
Yes, you’d have to dig them up …
Well, the thing about an actor like Day Lewis is that he is continually remaking himself, and continually surprising. So you might be right, Miranda. But I’ll reserve judgement until I see it. Which won’t be until December.
Rick – I guess I don’t think of Mastroianni as the prototype for the “Nine” role, I tend to think of the actors who’ve played Guido in the stage productions of “Nine” (Raul Julia, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce) as settting the “gold standard.” I know that probably sounds silly and strange – especially since “8 1/2″ is one of my favorite movies – but my love of/experience of “Nine” predates my love/experience of “8 1/2,” and oddly they’re two whole separate set of enthusiasms to me. I have a little trepidation about “Nine” coming to the screen, where it will become impossible not to compare with “8 1/2,” but I’ll do my best to go in without preconceived notions.
This probably makes no sense – I’m at the end of a very long, grueling work day.
Hey Rick! Remember when another Ingmar Bergman film was “re-made?” It was none other than 1960’s THE VIRGIN SPRING, and the film that was made from it was the infamous and depraved Wes craven cult movie, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT?!?
This one just HAS to be better.
Pat, I had no idea you’d seen “Nine.” That must have been a trip. It makes perfect sense that you’d see the role in terms of who’s played it in the actual musical. For me, never having seen the musical, Mastroianni is the man.
You know, Sam, I believe you’re right: this one should be much better than that. I hope. I pray. I just don’t know.
Rick – Well, I didn’t actaully SEE the Broadway production, although I have the cast recordings of both the orignal Broadway production and the early ’90s London concert verison wtih Jonathan Pryce. I’m just basing my ideas of the “Nine” Guido casting of what I know of the actors who’ve done the role before.
My love of the show stems from having been in the cast of a 1993 Indianapolis production. I saw “8 1/12″ for the first time a couple months after than production closed, and to be honest, I didn’t love it after that first viewing. My very fond memories of the stage musical version were too fresh. “Nine” is essentially the same story, but shaped with a more conventional narrative arc.
Still very cool, Pat. Biggest thing I’ve ever starred in is my 3rd grade production of “Jimmy and Bob Go to Town.” I played the town. I didn’t have a lot of lines.
Seriously, I love Mastroianni a lot, which colors my view of who should play Guido. It also doubtless has to do with what you see first, as you say.