Forbidden Planet remake: new news (1 Viewer)

[Nelson Au]

There is a remake of Forbidden Planet in the works! Maybe this is old news? I was surprised to read about this. I hear this film remake has long been in development. Perhaps I shouldn't be given the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still is about to make it's premiere next month.

I just read this over at trekmovie.com. J. Michael Straczynski is the writer hired by Warners, and I can respect that he's going to give it a fair effort. Joel Silver is producing the film.

No other details were given in this particular article. I'm sure others here might have more info. The article does go on to mention that J. Michael Straczynski is a Star Trek fan who tried to pitch his own take for a Star Trek series some years ago. And the relevance is that TOS Trek was inspired in part by the original FP.

So many things about this movie is so iconic. Not sure how well this will be made, how do you modernize Robbie The Robot, or do you use the same suit? I'd be tempted to use the same Robbie! I can't see the C57D space ship saucer replaced by something other then a saucer.

The casting should be interesting too. And I wonder if the themes will remain.

 

[Ockeghem]

Nelson,

For some reason, I think that this might turn out to be a good idea. I love the 1956 version (I own that one). I think using the original Robbie (who you might recall I actually saw in a museum) would be a very good idea.

 

[Nelson Au]

Scott, I wonder how much of the original's use of The Tempest will remain. That's a big element and then Adams romance with Altaira was also a big part of the plot.

The CGI work will probably do a cool ID Monster, if they keep it more in outline verses realistic.

Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen and Earl Holliman are still around too! I've seen Robbie at the Sci-Fi a museum as well. But I'm sure they'll redo him.

 

[Ockeghem]

Nelson,

I think I'd prefer they stick to the original plot(s) as much as possible. I will admit I'd love to see The Tempest angle again in this film.

I'm not a fan of CGI, but realize that it will probably be used to a large extent in the film. A large part why the monster in the original was so frightening to me was because I couldn't see it for much of the film.

Another actor in the original whom I loved was Warren Stevens. And I'm sure you can guess why. His work in TOL and TOS was quite memorable.

My guess is that Robbie won't be remade. Rather, the robot from the original Lost In Space will instead be used.











Okay, just kidding with that last part.

 

[Nelson Au]

And Warren Stevens was in The Twilight Zone too. I see he's still out there making TV and film appearances.

 

[JoshuaB.]

I'm not a big sf enthusiast, but I do like the original Forbidden Planet (much like the original The Day the Earth Stood Still). Like any discussion of remakes, I'm a bit apprehensive, but the studio has hired a writer with a great deal of sf background, so that's a step in the right direction. I would very much like the Tempest interpretation to remain--an intelligent sf film in a time of big, empty sf spectacles (Transformers comes to mind) would be very welcome!

Of course I'd rather see studios remake bad films that are nevertheless fondly remembered, in the hopes that an improvement could be made (could you imagine an intelligent remake of The Black Hole?).

 

[Rex Bachmann]

Nelson Au wrote (post #1):



"Themes schmemes". They'd better find a new "science" angle. "Monsters from the Id" won't cut it in the 21st century.

 

[Nelson Au]

I guess what surprised me Rex was this one sounds pretty serious, or has more of a chance to actually happen. I did do a search and didn't find any threads, I guess because I didn't add the word 'remake' to the search. But I'll have a look, I never paid too much attention to past attempts to remake this film.

I don't see Monsters from the ID as outdated, subconscious thoughts, same thing. What I'm more dubious about his how they execute it.

I forgot, Richard Anderson is also still around.

 

[Rex Bachmann]

Nelson Au wrote (post #8):


Well, that's just the thing, isn't it? In the mid-50's, even though Freudian concepts such as id, ego, and superego were already on the "outs" in mainstream psychology, most people wouldn't have heard of them anyway, I think, so their (in)validity wouldn't count for much. Now, however, how does one justify in a science-fiction (not a fantasy) picture "monsters" from the unconscious (unbewußt) mind, when even the concept of " mind" itself is nowadays looked at askance by many in psychology? The original movie, if I remember correctly, turned a good deal on concealing the source of these "monsters", a "mystery"---or, better put, a secret---which lent the story most of its tension. How do you do that today? The "oh-heck!-everybody-knows-the-plot/story-already-so-let's-just-reproduce-the-scenes-set-for-set-(with-modern-effects)-and-the-heck-with-tension" solution won't work for me. Will it for you?

I think Jack Briggs was probably right about the conceptualization of this film not going too well in modern society (and Hollywood). The audience for films now is, if (arguably) not more learned, still more skeptic/cynic and more "sophisticated". I do think, though, that, if anyone in Hollywood could overcome the problem of introducing sufficient "mystery" into an sf story, J. Michael Straczynski would probably be the one to succeed.

 

[Nelson Au]

Yep, with regards to doing a version that will engage a modern audience, I agree with your last comments. It's been done, so how will they make it new.

 

[Ockeghem]

Nelson,

I saw the promo spot for the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still for the first time three or four days ago. I didn't even know what film it was until I saw a very quick flash of 'Gort' (with in this case, a red center eye).

I am somewhat intrigued by this remake as well as that of Forbidden Planet; however, as I don't really watch remakes all that often (e.g., I have never seen the Night of the Living Dead or Psycho remakes), I don't know why these two films have got me somewhat intrigued. Clearly, further medical attention (or perhaps analysis/assimilation) is necessary. I will report to Bones at once.

 

[Nelson Au]

Scott, you might be more intrigued now with a new news report I found at trekmovie. It sounds interesting to me too. From the keyboard of JMS clarifying a rumor that it was a continuation plotline:

 

[Chuck Anstey]

Might they be doing the original landing of the Bellarafont(sp?) instead of a remake of the original movie? Then they wouldn't even have to explain why it happened and leave the original movie for those who want to find out. Also the only character common to both is Dr. Morpheus and he would be 20 years younger, making it easier to prevent direct comparisons between the new actor and Walter Pigeon.

 

[Ockeghem]

Nelson,

Intriguing indeed. Especially the lines:

"I have, however, found a way to honor [sic] the original movie without in any way besmirching it in order to do this iteration."

and

"... I wouldn’t even think about doing this project if I didn’t think there was a way to do it that would not in any way diminish the original."

 

[Lou Sytsma]

This sounds intriguing. Keeping an open mind.

 

[Ockeghem]

Lou,

And I as well. If it turns out that I don't like this film (or the other classic mentioned above), I can always pop in my copies of the originals.

 

[Nelson Au]

Well Chuck, if JMS is going back and doing the story of Dr. Morbius on the Bellerophon and the expedition to Altair 4, I guess that could be okay. I would never have thought that and it's a pretty smart way to go.

The same thing would happen, Morbius would find he Krell lab, build Robby and then later all the mysterious deaths of the crew would happen. I suppose it would end with Julia Morrison giving birth to Alta and the family living happily.

I'm open to that too.

 

[Rex Bachmann]

Nelson Au wrote (post #17):


????? It's called a "prequel" in today's Hollywood parlance.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Which part of JMS's statement suggests "prequel" to anybody? The film will be a remake - not a sequel, not a prequel.

Regards,

Joe

 

[DavidPla]

Agreed. If anything, they might ALSO explain the story of Dr. Morbius but in the same way that the Halloween remake explained the origin of Michael Myers. It's still a remake or better yet... re-imagining.