No wild wild west though- this is a modern remake!
Word has come down that Will Smith will be adding the Wild Bunch remake to his slate, jump-starting a project that was going to be a Tony Scott joint before tragedy and the normal delays of Hollywood prevented it. David Ayer was the first to write on the project before Brian Helgeland took at a crack at it under Scott. Now a new writer is being sought, with an eye towards attracting other big names.
Smith has a dense slate ahead, but this still has a lot of names to hire before it really gets rolling so it will wedge in easily enough when the time comes.
You’ll recall that Smith was Tarantino’s favorite for Django Unchained– turning it down is a decision he has seemed not to regret, but must sting a little following the wave of success and critical interest in the film. Now he’s found a western role with a bit less inherent controversy, save from the film geeks that might call this unnecessary.
Apparently this one “[follows] a disgraced D.E.A. agent who assembles a team to go after a Mexican drug lord and his fortune.”
What you can do now with Peckinpah’s violet masterpiece that so vividly punctuated an era in filmmaking and storytelling is unclear, but at least with the modern setting there’s no pretense of even trying to live alongside the original.
Figure there’s any interesting places a modern take on the “one last blaze of glory” story could go?
Source | The Wrap