March 28, 2005
Man from U.N.C.L.E. in name only
Very short update on the remake of Man from U.N.C.L.E. from Variety through Coming Soon.
All is go. There, that's short! With X-Men 3 next, this hasn't affected the remake plans, but which way is the story going? Was it going to be a total rewrite to avoid getting hit by law suits?
Vaughn is still working with writer John Hodge on a spy project for Warner, but he has persuaded the studio to develop it as an original screenplay, and not as an "U.N.C.L.E." redo.Vaughn always said his and Hodge's concept for "U.N.C.L.E" would radically reinvent the 1960s TV series, keeping nothing but the title. That prompted howls of outrage from the show's fans, which helped Vaughn convince Warner there was no upside in associating his project with the old show.
So just a spy thriller then, and nothing really to do with the original series. So why is the title connected here? What's the point going to be if all the things that made the original show so great are dumped? Thoughts people!
Posted by Richard Brunton at March 28, 2005 07:20 AM
Comments
Posted by: Franklin at March 28, 2005 08:00 AM
Yes, my thoughts exactly! Just like Mission: Impossible. Frankly, "Man From U.N.C.L.E" was not a show that played in my neck of the woods when I was a kid, so I don't have anything invested in the original. If they can make a GOOD action pic using the UNCLE premise reimagined, then I couldn't care less about chucking the original.
It is all about the money, folks. If the studio can draw an audience in with name recogition, and keep them there with a good movie, that is all they care about.
Posted by: chadt at March 28, 2005 05:55 PM
I still say....give a spy movie to QT and let him run with it. I hate the way they have sent 007 AND XXX was a waist of brain power......since they keep remaking movies.....redo "On Her Majesty's Secrect Service".....or better yet......take one of those In Like Flint movies and give it a Reservoir Dogs Feel. I got advance tickets to "Die Another Day" and I wanted to walk out on Free Tickets. I still TIVO any Bond Flick that comes on Stars and love to play them in the back ground while I doin stuff around the house. It's just a shame that you don't get the kick in the ars you use to get from the movie experience. Bond needs to be directed by someone who knows and cares about it....remember when you looked forward to the opening "mini" story on a Bond Film? Remember BADASSSSS hentchman like Christopher Walken or JAWS.....A quality Actress like(I forget her name)the girl in the plane in Goldfinger.....and of course.....A kick ars ski chase scene like View to a kill.....but I definantly think you have to start with a director that has a reputation that comes with a higher pay scale. I would like something between From Russia with love and Licence To Kill(highly Underated)....sorry for the rant....I dont deal well with Barbra Brocolli and where she has taken MY James Bond!
Posted by: jason at March 28, 2005 08:25 PM
Good point actually, it's exactly like Mission Impossible, that's something I didn't think about. However, MI did keep a lot of what the original was about, teamwork, stacked odds, working against the big villian, it's all there in the original so there is a lot of it still there.
Posted by: Richard Brunton at March 29, 2005 02:17 AM
So is Daniel Craig tapped to be in this? *winks*
Posted by: Simone at March 29, 2005 04:37 AM
For pete's sake, at least stick to the original concept. Remember the Eddie Murphy disaster "I Spy"? Or the lousy remake of the "Wild, Wild West" (sorry Will Smith fans, but it stunk) ? 'I Spy' was a good show, the same sort of tongue-in-cheek, semi-serious attitude that the Man From UNCLE originally started off with. If you're going to do a 're-make' then at least attempt to stay with the concept that made the original so popular. If you want to do an original, then do so, I've got no problems with that. What I DO have a problem with is these idiotic attempts to 'improve' the original! The Man From UNCLE was a spoof of the whole James Bond genre, people. It was light-hearted, and slyly poked fun at the whole secret agent concept. Could we just leave it at that? Better yet, leave us with the memories of a fun show and do something NEW.
Posted by: Mary Gordon at May 29, 2005 01:44 AM
I want an updated remake of the old tv show. For pete's sakes Warner
bro's do it right by Robert Vaughn and others. Its late Sept.
2005, what's happening with this film. Please update.
Posted by: Edward Bearnson at September 24, 2005 08:36 PM
I dunno... worked for Mission Impossible, right?