When it was first announced that an American remake of director Park Chan-wook’s South Korean revenge film Oldboy was in the works, fans were understandably wary of the prospect.  Then Spike Lee signed on to direct.  If anything can be assumed of a Spike Lee film, it’s that it’s definitely not going to be a commercial cash-in.  Lee cares deeply about artistic integrity, so it’s with cautious optimism that his remake of Oldboy is being anticipated.

Steve sat down with star Josh Brolin last weekend to talk about his upcoming crime drama Gangster Squad, and the actor also took some time to discuss Oldboy.  During the interview, Brolin talked extensively about how Lee’s Oldboy differs from the original, reaching out to Park Chan-wook for his blessing, the action scenes, and he revealed that Lee shot some extended, improvised takes for Brolin’s scenes in the motel room.  The actor also talked a bit about writer/director Jason Reitman’s upcoming adaptation of Labor Day, in which he stars alongside Kate Winslet.  Hit the jump for the full comments.

Director Spike Lee’s remake of Park Chan-wook’s South Korean new-classic Oldboy is currently in production in New Orleans, and a few more photos from the set have surfaced.  The film stars Josh Bolin as an advertising executive who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 20 years without explanation.  He is abruptly released and sets out to discover the who and why of his captivity, running across a social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.   We previously got a brief look at Brolin in costume, and these new set photos reveal Olsen’s tattooed character and Brolin sporting some intimidating workout clothes.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson and James Ransone.  Oldboy opens on October 11th, 2013.

The first trailer for director Spike Lee’s documentary Bad 25 has been released.  The film—which focuses on the creation and impact of Michael Jackson’s seminal album Bad—screened at a number of film festivals this fall to a very positive response, and is now set to air on ABC.  The trailer looks fascinating as it teases interviews with everyone from Martin Scorsese to Sheryl Crow and highlights some never before seen behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson at work.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  Bad 25 will air on ABC on Thanksgiving night.

After a rather drawn-out development period, production is finally underway on director Spike Lee’s remake of director Park Chan-wook’s now-classic 2005 South Korean revenge film Oldboy.  Josh Brolin stars as an advertising executive who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 20 years without explanation.  He is abruptly released and sets out to discover the who and why of his captivity, running across a social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

FilmDistrict announced today that the pic will open on October 11th, 2013.  There are currently no other films slated for release at that time, but it puts the redo in a great spot both for commercial success and awards consideration.  Samuel L. Jackson and James Ransone round out the impressive cast, and I can’t wait to see how Lee puts his spin on the material.

With Nate Parker (Red Tails) reportedly exiting Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake due to scheduling conflicts (with Non-Stop, starring Liam Neeson), the director has turned to a familiar collaborator in James Ransone (Sinister).  Oldboy will mark the third time the duo have worked together, following Lee’s Inside Man and Red Hook Summer.   Currently filming, Oldboy also stars Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson and Sharlto Copely.  Variety reports that Ransone will play a doctor who works with Olsen’s character in the remake of Chan-wook Park’s revenge thriller, a story that centers on a man (Brolin) who escapes from a decade of imprisonment and goes in search of his kidnappers.  Ransone can next be seen in Broken City, along with Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg.

For news on John Leguizamo (The Lincoln Lawyer) joining Ice Cube and Kevin Hart in the action-comedy, Ride Along, hit the jump.

New set photos for James Mangold’s The Wolverine, Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake and Dean Parisot’s Red 2 have emerged today.  From Wolvie, we don’t get more shots of star Hugh Jackman, but we get a glimpse of Silver Samurai and of the actor playing him (Will Yun Lee).  There’s also a stuntman on hand to unleash the first look at Logan’s claws in action.  The Oldboy images put star Josh Brolin front and center and shirtless for the most part.  Red 2 shows off previous cast members Bruce Willis, John Malkovich and Mary-Louise Parker as well as new additions, Catherine Zeta-Jones and David Thewlis.  Pay special attention to Malkovich’s insane attire (he’s fabulous).

The Wolverine bows on July 26th, 2013. Lee’s Oldboy, also starring Samuel L. Jackson and Elizabeth Olsen, opens sometime next year. Red 2 is slated for an August 2nd, 2013 release.  Hit the jump to see the set photos.

No stranger to violent, auteur-driven films (ie. Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive), FilmDistrict has acquired U.S. distribution rights to director Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy.  The film is a redo of Park Chan-wook’s now-classic South Korean revenge pic and stars Josh Brolin as an advertising executive who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 20 years without explanation.  He is abruptly released and sets out to discover the who and why of his captivity.  Lee has put together an impressive lead cast, with Elizabeth Olsen as the female lead and Sharlto Copley as “an illusive man who allegedly holds the key to his salvation,” but the director ran into a bit of trouble finding financing for the pic.  As such, word of FilmDistrict’s involvement is very good news indeed.

We recently heard that Samuel L. Jackson and Nate Parker were looking to join the cast, but the press release makes no mention of their involvement.  Chan-wook’s film is incredible but I’m interested to see Lee’s take on the material, especially how he handles the story’s more graphic/disturbing content. Oldboy is expected to be released in 2013, so luckily we don’t have to wait long to find out.  Hit the jump to read the press release, which includes a synopsis.

Word has been quiet on director Spike Lee’s remake of the Park Chan-wook film Oldboy as of late, but recent casting news seems to signal that the pic is indeed moving forward.  24 Frames reports that Samuel L. Jackson has joined the cast in a small but crucial role.  For those unfamiliar, Josh Brolin will play a man who is abducted and imprisoned for 15 years, after which he’s inexplicably released and sent on a hunt to track down those responsible for his imprisonment.  I won’t spoil the scene here for people that haven’t seen the original, but Jackson plays a man who is being tortured by the hero in a key revenge scene (hint: think dentist).

This new report also reveals that Bruce Hornsby will be scoring Lee’s Oldboy, with production set to begin this fall in Louisiana and New York.  Hornsby scored Lee’s most recent film, Red Hook Summer.  Brolin previously revealed that this new film has Park Chan-wook’s blessing and includes a few key scenes from the original.  The film also stars Sharlto Copley as the villain and Elizabeth Olsen as the female lead.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding Red Hook Summer in development because director Spike Lee reprises his role from the 1989 classic Do the Right Thing.  There were other elements that bode well for one of the better Spike Lee joints in recent years, including the Brooklyn setting and star Clarke Peters (The Wire).  Red Hook Summer polarized critics at Sundance (Matt gave it an “F”), which could be viewed as another positive sign, given Lee’s resume.  Both the good (the music, visual flair) and the bad (poor child actors, drowning in that melodrama) are on display in the first trailer.

Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, Nate Parker, James Ransone, and Thomas Jefferson Byrd star alongside Peters in Red Hook Summer.  Let’s you and I wait until it opens on August 10 to make up our minds.  In the meantime, test the waters by watching the trailer after the break.

Like most of you, I’m incredibly excited/nervous about Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake.  Director Chan-wook Park’s 2003 South Korean revenge pic is an instant classic, and though I think Lee is certainly capable of great filmmaking, he’s had more than his fair share of flops.  Josh Brolin is set as the lead, Elizabeth Olsen has signed on as the female lead, and District 9 star Sharlto Copley recently landed the villain role.  We haven’t heard much about what Lee’s remake entails other than a promised “darker ending,” but Brolin recently talked quite a bit about the film and his hesitation to remake such a brilliant piece of work.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Spike Lee’s latest joint, Red Hook Summer, premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival to an incredibly polarizing and controversial response.  The film had its supporters, but those who weren’t taken by it really hated it.  In his review of the film, our own Matt Goldberg said the most remarkable thing about the movie “is how it finds so many ways to be absolutely terrible.”  Now the pic has finally found distribution through Variance Films, and is set for release on August 10th in New York.  The drama will then expand to the top 30 markets throughout August.

Apparently Red Hook Summer went through a major re-edit before this deal was brokered, so it’s entirely possible that we’ll be seeing a drastically different version of the film than the one screened at Sundance.  When Lee is on, he’s on (Do the Right Thing, 25th Hour, etc.), but his resume isn’t entirely impeccable.  He’s next set to direct a remake of Park Chan-wook’s revenge pic Oldboy with Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Olsen.  Hit the jump to read the full press release regarding Red Hook Summer‘s acquisition.

Spike Lee’s exhausting search for the villain in his Oldboy remake may have finally come to an end.  After previously offering the role to Christian Bale, Colin Firth, and Clive Owen—all of who turned the part down—Variety now reports that District 9 star Sharlto Copley has been offered the role and is in early talks to sign on.  Josh Brolin is set as the lead and Elizabeth Olsen is onboard in the lead female role of Lee’s take on Park Chan-wook’s classic revenge pic of the same name.  For those unfamiliar, Brolin plays a man who is abducted and imprisoned for 15 years, after which he’s inexplicably released and sent on a hunt to track down those responsible for his imprisonment.  Many unexpected twists and turns ensue.  Hit the jump for more, including my thoughts on Copley landing the role.

In somewhat disappointing news today, HBO has decided to pass on Da Brick, a drama pilot from Academy Award-nominated director Spike Lee and boxing legend, Mike Tyson. Written by John Ridley and directed by Lee, Da Brick was partially inspired by Tyson’s formative youth and looked at what it was like to be a young, black man in an America that is supposedly “post-racial.” The project began when Tyson was on the set of Entourage for a guest role and he mentioned to series creator, Doug Ellin that he’d like to build a show around his own life, much like they did for Mark Wahlberg’s early days. What’s most disappointing to me is that John Boyega (Attack the Block) was set to star as Donnie, the central character who is a young boxer fresh out of juvenile detention on his 18th birthday. I would have been infinitely more interested in Boyega’s performance than the show’s premise itself, but as Deadline reports, HBO has passed. Such a shame. Da Brick was executive produced by Lee, Tyson, Ridley and Ellin.

Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) has reportedly been offered the role of the female lead in Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake. The part of Marie was previously turned down by Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), but could be a major role for Olsen. Having quickly risen through the ranks of most-sought-after actresses, Olsen has a number of projects lined up for 2013 but may yet have time to work Oldboy into her schedule. If Oldboy can manage to pin down someone to play the villain (Clive Owen, Colin Firth and Christian Bale have already declined the role), Lee may be able to start filming late this summer as planned. Olsen would be joining Josh Brolin (W.) in the remake of the 2003 Korean revenge film by Park Chan-Wook. Hit the jump for more.

Spike Lee’s Malcolm X is twenty years old, but the controversy surrounding it still feels fresh. At the time, Lee was considered a dangerous filmmaker, and no one was sure how the film would be received and if it would start riots. And Lee made it of the moment; he opened with the Rodney King beating, which now may have no context to younger viewers. But now, it’s simply a great movie that is saddled with a bio-pic structure. Denzel Washington gives a career best performance as the criminal transformed into a great leader and thinker. Our review of Malcolm X on Blu-ray follows after the jump.