Oldboy Update

Will Smith has been pushed over the upcoming Oldboy remake, and what he had to say is likely to have varying results on people's anticipation levels.

Apparently, the remake won't be of the Chan Wook Park film at all, but another adaptation of the original manga. That means the most basic elements of the premise will be intact, but that the mystery will have an entirely different solution.

So, basically, all of the good work Park and co did fixing up the Manga will definitely be abandoned.

Personally, I think this cements the fact that Spielberg's film will flounder - creatively, of course, not commerically - as the source material will be inferior. On top of everything else going against the film... sheesh.

Of course, some might argue that the film is less likely to be truly offensive now, with Spielberg no longer in a position to graffiti all over Park's brilliant "original". I don't quite see it that way - Park's film will always be, no matter what Spielberg does, and it doesn't matter to Oldboy 1.0 what a turkey 2.0 is, but it does matter to 2.0 what source material it has to draw on.

Incidentally, the 2.0 script is to be by Mark Protosevich, (a) screenwriter of Thor, The Cell and various other things that hardly get my brim wet with the golden nectar of confidence.

Poor old Will Smith.

Direct Download Link For New I Am Legend Promo Piece

Awakening is a 'digital comic book' to promote I Am Legend. It's like a fairly slick animatic, in effect. The scenes portrayed detail the original outbreak of badness that will, by the time Will Smith laces his sneakers and heads out onto the lonely streets, have wiped out almost everybody on Earth.

Download Awakening in hi-def lo-res Quicktime, or 480p, 720p or 1080p hi-def options.

The Evolution Of A Will Smith Story

First we hear that Will Smith is going to produce a remake of The Karate Kid and his son Jayden will take the lead role. Then we hear that Jackie Chan is to play Mr. Miyagi. Then Jayden is removed from the equation - he is only 9 or so, anyway. Then Will Smith is directing the film, not producing - but that version of the rumour still has Jayden involved so can be easily discounted. And then, there's no Karate Kid remake at all.

Yahoo have the following, fresh-ish quote from Smith's rep, Heidi Schaeffer: He's certainly not. I don't know where that came from.

Certainly not what? Directing Jayden? Or involved in the film at all? The story morphs again... but into what?

What is clear, however, is that Smith has lined up a role in Time Share, opposite Nicolas Cage. They'll play the heads of warring families duking it out over a holiday home double booking. There's a role for Jayden in this one, surely? And with a good script and a good director, I think it might be a barrel of laughs. Possibly. Hopefully. I'd like to think so, anyway.

Yesterday He Came: The First Snaps Of Will Smith As John Hancock

Just Jared have some on-set snaps from John Hancock, formerly Tonight He Comes. It will need another new title, if you ask me.

You'll see Will Smith looking a little worse for wear and clutching a booze bottle. He's also rigged for some of his super powered flying scenes, it seems, but remember superkids: don't drink and fly.

Not that anybody much would want to imitate Will Smith anyway.

There's a fine tradition of drunk superheroes in comic books, less so on screen. Apparently, even Tony Stark will be shying away from the hard stuff in Iron Man. I hope movies don't go through their own tedious 'they drink, they smoke, they take drugs, they swear and cheat on their spouses: these are adult superheroes, these are for mature viewers' phase. Yawn.

Direct Download Links For The I Am Legend Trailer, And A Nice Version Of The Poster

Download the first trailer for I Am Legend in medium, large or oversized standard-def Quicktime or 480p, 720p or 1080p hi-def. And there's the poster below - which you can click upon to enlarge.