ROTTEN TOMATOES: Russell's "Piranha" Remake Heading to Dimension

Russell's "Piranha" Remake Heading to Dimension

by Scott Weinberg | January 12, 2006

Writer/director Chuck Russell has been fiddling around with his "Piranha" remake for a few months now, and it seems that he's found a fan in the Weinstein brothers and their Dimension genre label. So they'll be distributing the flick when the time comes.

Says Variety: "Dimension Films has reeled in domestic distribution rights to "Piranha," the remake of the 1978 genre hit that Chuck Russell will direct in spring.

Pic's set at Arizona's Lake Havasu, a vacation hotspot that turns into an all-you-can-eat buffet when a phalanx of fish swim through a crack in a crater formed by a prehistoric eruption at the bottom of the lake.

Russell wrote the script, using elements of drafts by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, as well as the original John Sayles script that Joe Dante directed the first time around. That came from a story by Richard Robertson."

--
Yes, the original "Piranha" was written by the John Sayles. The guy also wrote the b-movie classics "Alligator," "Battle Beyond the Stars," and "The Howling"!

As far as Mr. Russell is concerned, he's already proven that he can do a rock-solid monster movie remake ("The Blob"), so bring on the man-eating fish already! It's gotta be better than the 1995 made-for-TV remake that starred William Katt. (And please don't PG-13ify the thing!)

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(1-17 of 17 posts) | Reply

sokiveta.com writes:
on Jan 12 2006 05:40 AM

Remake?

This is great because it falls into a category of movies that I call "movies that turn out to be remakes of movies that I didn't know existed."

After watching Oceans 11 I was shocked to learn that there was an original Oceans 11. The same goes for The Italian Job.

Although there are some movies that are remakes that it seems like I'm the only one who knew about the original, like Down to Earth which starred Chris Rock and was a remake of the original Heaven Can Wait which starred a young Warren Beaty who (instead of playing a black comedian) played a star NFL quarterback.

(Reply to this)

pota1967 writes:
on Jan 12 2006 07:37 AM

[b]Heaven Can Wait was a remake of[/b]
Here Comes Mr Jordan (1941)

(Reply to this)

antickpix writes:
on Jan 12 2006 07:46 AM

Gee..the John Sayles of Limbo, Lone Star, Sunshine State and Silver City too.

(Reply to this)

RocketPunch writes:
on Jan 12 2006 08:54 AM

umm.. so when are they going to remake [Top Secret]?

(Reply to this)

nogard64 writes:
on Jan 12 2006 09:06 AM

[b]um[/b]
um where is the Never Ending Story remake? Can you imagine all the special effect in that movie redone? Seriously I can't wait for that!

(Reply to this)

Spike1967 writes:
on Jan 12 2006 11:10 AM

Here's a crazy idea, let's stop the remakes altogether. Has everyone in Hollywood ran out of ideas?

(Reply to this)

zachdybs writes:
on Jan 12 2006 11:37 AM

Although I agree that a Neverending Story remake would have awesome special effects, I hope they never do it because its simply a classic.

(Reply to this)

nogard64 writes:
on Jan 12 2006 01:10 PM

[b]yeah agree but[/b]
its one of my favs but the special effects are cheesy and dated now, so that warrants a remake! And redo the cool Theme song too! Remix it up with a real heavy dance beat! Long live Atreyu! Long live Falcore!!!

(Reply to this)

druNKardmoNKey writes:
on Jan 12 2006 01:48 PM

I think remakes are great! It's a movie that you know people will like. Only I would remake something succesful. Imagine the remake of 2004 Academy Award for Best Picture Million Dollar Baby�but with explosions!

(Reply to this)

chazbow writes:
on Jan 12 2006 01:55 PM

[b]Will only work if it's a solid R[/b]
If they try to make the "Piranha" remake PG-13, it will be a disaster. It needs to be solidly Rated R like Chuck Russell's 1988 remake of "The Blob," and just as bloody as Joe Dante's 1978 original.

Also, they need to get a cast filled with good veteran character actors like the original had. The worst thing they could do would be to fill the cast with a bunch of pretty faces from television like that horrible remake of "The Fog."

(Reply to this)

Aoiboy writes:
on Jan 12 2006 02:43 PM

I was just about to make exactly the same comments ! I mean, that I was fearing as well a PG-13 treatment and a flood of faces from WB young faces in the cast ! Anyway... guys, you stir up some emotional memories with the "Neverending Story" thread... ^_^ It was one of my favorite books as I child. I must have read it 5 times ! I think that would be a remake I'd like to see... (the only one, ok ?!? ^_^).

(Reply to this)

nogard64 writes:
on Jan 12 2006 08:48 PM

[b]yeah I think it can happen[/b]
hollywood goes in genere phases, trends if you will, currently we are in a horror phase, notice all the horror films being made? And I think it is trending into a fantasy phase with movies such as Harry Potter, LOTRs, and Narnia, so if it moves towards fantasy phase we will see a lot more moives like Conan the Barbarian, the Hobbit, and The Never Ending Story. This cycle has already happened before, late 70's was a lot of horror, then it moved into a lot of Sci Fi/fantasy in the early 80's and then Action movies in the lat 80's.

(Reply to this)

phranq writes:
on Jan 12 2006 10:35 PM

[b]Why Not Remakes??!![/b]
if the average self-proclaimed movie buff (not to mention Joe sixpack who does NOT visit this website) doesn't know their film history or of the plots, stories, themes of yesteryear (especially if its in B&W!).... why NOT recycle from the left over Hollywood film bins?!

The Titanic story had 4 'remakes'!
3 Men and a Baby... Ha!
The 4 Feathers... original?!
It goes on and on... not just the 'big' remakes like Kong!

As they say... " Those who Know thy history are NOT bound to repeat it"1

(Reply to this)

Scott Weinberg writes:
on Jan 12 2006 11:05 PM

In reply to this comment (#829931)
" Gee..the John Sayles of Limbo, Lone Star, Sunshine State and Silver City too. "

Yeah, I know that. I just figured since it was a monster movie theme, his earlier works might be more apropos to the discussion.

And Sayles' best movie is still Eight Men Out. ;)

(Reply to this)

LEGENDc writes:
on Jan 13 2006 01:50 PM

I need a Flash Gordon or Clash of the Titans remake...but please dont cast Orlando Bloom in either one, but he'd be great as the lead in The Never Ending Story remake.

Remakes are the best I'm leaving work early today to rush home and watch
Bewitched and Gus Van Sants Psycho

(Reply to this)

chazbow writes:
on Jan 13 2006 02:50 PM

[b]John Sayles[/b]
In addition to "Piranha," John Sayles also wrote "The Lady in Red" and "Battle Beyond the Stars" for Roger Corman, and another entertaining B creature feature, "Alligator," which I'm sure somebody will get around to remaking one of these days. Sayles used the money from the B-movie scripts he wrote to finance his first film, "Return of the Secaucus Seven."

(Reply to this)

cowsfan writes:
on Jan 17 2006 12:56 AM

In reply to this comment (#829935)
QUOTE Although I agree that a Neverending Story remake would have awesome special effects, I hope they never do it because its simply a classic. END QUOTE

I kept saying the same thing about 'Charlie & The Chocolate Factory' cause I read the books when I was a kid, like, 12 times and I've seen the original movie about 50 times. I still love to watch it. However, I thought that Tim Burton did a great job and now I agree that both are great movies.

I don't know about 'Neverending Story' though. I love that movie so much I'd really hate to see someone ruin it. Wolfgang Petersen directed it. What happened, Wolfy? You use to make such great movies!!

Cheers,
Kevin

(Reply to this)

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