ROTTEN TOMATOES: Bay & Co. Get Some Filmmakers for Their "Hitcher" Remake

Bay & Co. Get Some Filmmakers for Their "Hitcher" Remake

by Scott Weinberg | June 27, 2005

Variety reminds us that we reported on Platinum Dunes' "Hitcher" remake a little while ago -- by announcing the all-new director and screenwriter. Veteran music video director Dave Meyers will helm Rogue Pictures' revisit of Robert Harmon's "The Hitcher," and he'll be doing so from a screenplay penned by Jake Wade Wall, a relative newcomer who just wrote "When a Stranger Calls" for Simon West (also a remake).

Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes has become a certifiable horror remake machine, what with "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Amityville Horror" proving to be such profitable projects -- and next up on deck is "The Hitcher," which, as you probably remember, "starred C. Thomas Howell as a teen who picks up the hitchhiker from hell (Rutger Hauer), a serial killer who torments the youth by implicating him in each of his crimes."

Casting news will be shared as soon as its made available.

Related Items

Celeb:	Dave Meyers
	Michael Bay
	Simon West
	Robert Harmon
	Rutger Hauer
	C. Thomas Howell
Movie:	The Hitcher
	The Amityville Horror
	When a Stranger Calls
	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

(1-8 of 8 posts) | Reply

VML writes:
on Jun 27 2005 07:59 AM

Dave Meyers?! He's a great music video director, but I'm not sure about the idea of him directing a remake.

(Reply to this)

Bourne316 writes:
on Jun 27 2005 08:56 AM

only time will tell, but i am really not interested in this remake :-/

(Reply to this)

marvelxf4 writes:
on Jun 27 2005 11:45 PM

I hate remakes. This is Micheal Bay's third Horror remake. His first two sucked. He has foresaken artistic integrity for quick cash.

Okay amytiville was never that great in the first place. But the remake offered nothing and was just cashing in on the name

Texas Chainsaw's original movie is great and defied so many standards in the horror genre. The remake removed everything that was great about the original and looked like a music video not a horror classic.

The Hitcher is an excellent movie one of my cult favs. I predict the remake is going to have half the dialogue and twice the chase scens turning it from suspense gold to popcorn fluff. It will be terrible.

I hate remakes of movies that were great in the first place with this announcment and the possibility of Bay remaking "The Birds" (Screams!) I would just like to announce....

Micheal Bay is my arch foe

(Reply to this)

getluv writes:
on Jun 28 2005 03:28 AM

I strongly support this movie. TCM remake was exceptional, as was Amityville Horror!

This is the 21st century, people dont want the same shit that happened 20 years ago.

(Reply to this)

cgcbooks writes:
on Jun 28 2005 11:09 AM

In reply to this comment (#823647)
That means 20 or 30 years from now it will be time to remake the remakes that you like?

(Reply to this)

mooninite writes:
on Jun 28 2005 02:00 PM

I agree that people don't want the same shit from years ago; that's why I can't understand why it seems like every third movie released today is a remake, sequel, prequel, TV-turned-movie, etc. Everybody jokes about Hollywood not being able to come up with new ideas, but I think reality has caught up with the jokes. Bewitched, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Bad News Bears, The Hitcher, Herbie, War of the Worlds, The Longest Yard, Honeymooners, House of Wax, Dukes of Hazzard, and on and on. I don't automatically hate all of these movies, but for every one Batman Begins, there's about 10 Honeymooners. It REALLY pains me to know that they are doing a remake of The Bad News Bears -- one of my favorite films while growing up. I wonder what the odds are that they give Hitcher a happy ending? I can see the scene... Ashton Kutcher says, "Mom told me not to pick up strangers," and blows the Hitcher's brains all over the dashboard. Then he and Drew Barrymore walk off into the sunset hand-in-hand, because her arms are still attached to her body.

(Reply to this)

Now it's dark writes:
on Jun 28 2005 03:37 PM

The studios feel safe investing in stories that are familiar. But with this past month being the worst June for Hollywood in 20 years, maybe it's time to start taking some chances...

(Reply to this)

navajo79joe writes:
on Dec 24 2006 09:27 AM

Welp, just saw the trailer to this fresh pile of poop last night. Wow does it look dumb! The original (now I have to call it THE ORIGINAL so people will know which 'version' I'm talking about---another annoying facet to these remakes!) was one of my favorites, but this will surely be a real stinkbomb. You would think a movie this relatively obscure would be safe from the hollywood cloning machine, but oh no! The only solution is to not see this turd in the first place, thereby showing the powers that squeezed it out that we prefer integrity and at least some originality on the big screen. Unfortunately I think people are compelled to go see remakes, even if it's just to see how bad they botched up the original. It's like passing a bad accident on the highway. Merry Christmas! Now go see Black Christmas!! Another REMAKE!!!!!!

(Reply to this)

RottenTomatoes.com