Rights to Kurosowa's back catologue sold

Mickeroo

Just read this over on aicn:

It was bound to happen eventually - we've already seen SEVEN SAMURAI remade a few times, YOJIMBO as well, and Akira Kurosawa's films have influenced and inspired every filmmaker alive at this point, even if not directly. Now, according to Variety, Splendent Media has bought the rights to over 60 of the Master's films and screenplays, including RASHOMON, RED BEARD, and many other titles. This deal does not include SEVEN SAMURAI, IKIRU, HIGH AND LOW, and DRUNKEN ANGEL, which are already all in various stages of development. But it's very possible we could be seeing remakes to films like RAN, or KAGEMUSHA, or even films like THE BAD SLEEP WELL. I'm usually fairly forgiving when it comes to remakes - I think every film has that potential to be great - but the idea of someone remaking RED BEARD or STRAY DOG feels like a punch to the gut.

There is some good news however - the deal includes 19 screenplays that have never been filmed. So it's very possible we could see an Akira Kurosawa-scripted film that has never before seen the light of day. That alone should be worth celebrating, although there's a distinct possibility that some screenwriter could mangle the Master's work and sell a few more Happy Meals in the process. But seeing a new Akira Kurosawa work on the big screen sounds incredibly exciting.

I guess it was kind of inevitable, it's bad enough that they're remaking Seven Samurai again, but at least thats been remade heaps of times already, but the thought of a remake of something like Rashamon just feels wrong to me.

It is kind of exciting about the 19 unfilmed scripts though! In the right hands who knows what they could end up like although no doubt they'll be filmed in English and Americanised.

johnny_ultimate

Yeah read this the other day: I had a vitriolic post prepared but decided to breathe in calmly instead

Anyway, nothings sacred anymore in Hollywood. Sure, some of the basic Kurosawa stories are translatable as evident by A Fistful of Dollars. But it would be a shame if many of his classics were to be remade - Ikiru has been threatened (by Tom Hanks of all people!) and would lose much upon translation given the distinctly post-war Japanese themes. I like the author above would also be extremely disappointed by a remake of Red Beard.

The unmade scripts sound curious, and indeed Kurosawa was a bit of a remaker himself (given all his Shakespeare adaptations - one could hardly remake Ran when it is a remake itself!) but still I can't help but greet this news with hostility.

Oink

Re-making a Kurosawa movie and turn it into drivel is like p*ssing on a Rembrandt. I will force myself to give them the benefit of a doubt, but I'll keep my shotgun loaded.