By Robert Southgate
This Week in Geek Podcast @rsouthgate
The reason people ripple at the thought of someone remaking a Hitchcock film is the same reason there is only on Mona Lisa. The belief is the results can only be a replication, not an improvement. An argument can be made, however, that if Andy Warhol or Monet had reimagined the Mona Lisa, it could be just as strong a piece of art as DiVinci's masterwork. This is the hope of a film being remade by an auteur. In my opinion, David Fincher could accomplish just this with his purposed remake of Strangers on a Train. Along with the main players from Gone Girl, Ben Affleck (actor/producer) and Gillian Flynn (author/screenwriter), David Fincher is hoping to reproach the source material; the novel by Patricia Highsmith, also noted as author of The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Deadline is reporting that Warner Brothers has been wanting to remake Strangers on a Train for a few years and the combination of Fincher/Affleck/Flynn could create the perfect storm.
The meta concept of Affleck as an Oscar winning actor replacing the tennis pro in the original is the only hesitation this new approach provides as that trope may feel played out. As a litmus test, ask yourself if you would be as interested with Tom Cruise or George Clooney int eh role. Personally, I would but even more so if the character is involved in anything but Hollywood. That personal bias aside, this project could prove to be something special. In fact, it could be the gateway to exceptional remakes as opposed to the visionless retreads we've come to expect.
"What's the first rule of killing someone else's wife?"
Fincher as director, Affleck as producer, and Flynn crafting the script might just change how we view the remaking of a masterpiece.