Director Spike Lee is gearing up to start production on his remake of Oldboy here pretty soon, and he continues to zero in on his cast. Josh Brolin is set to play the protagonist, a man who is inexplicably imprisoned for 15 years, only to be set free and sent on a hunt to track down those responsible for his abduction and imprisonment. Colin Firth was first approached to take on the villain role, and confirmed as much a few weeks ago, but heâs since passed on the role. Now Twitch reports that Lee has offered the part to Clive Owen.While I was really hoping to see Firth in the role, Owen isnât a bad substitute. Heâs got the sophistication thing down, and itâll be interesting to see him square off against Brolin. Owen and Lee have a bit of history together, as Owen starred in Leeâs underrated thriller Inside Man, so their relationship probably bodes well for the chances of Owen accepting the offer. Now to see whom Lee chooses as his female lead. [Update: Well that was fast; Mia Wasikowska (The Kids Are All Right) has apparently been offered the female lead. Hit the jump for more.]Lee seems to be moving right along, as Twitch now reports that the crucial female lead has been offered to Wasikowska. Sheâs a brilliant actress and has done some fine work as of late (The Kids Are All Right, Jane Eyre), so I think sheâs a fantastic choice. The role had previously been offered to Rooney Mara, but she subsequently passed. If Wasikowska takes the role, itâll be with a hint of irony. She recently wrapped the horror film Stoker, the English-language directorial debut of Park Chan-wook, who of course directed the original 2003 South Korean version of Oldboy. If everything here pans out, Lee will have an incredibly strong cast in Brolin, Owen, and Wasikowska.
Clive Owen Offered Villain Role in Spike Lee’s OLDBOY Remake [UPDATED: Mia Wasikowska Offered Female Lead]
Clive Owen Offered Villain Role in Spike Lee’s OLDBOY Remake. Josh Brolin is set to star in the thriller remake of the Park Chan-wook film.