Welcome to Akira Kurosawa info!  Log in or Register?

A Jim Sheridan remake of ‘Ikiru’ for 2008?

There is an IMDb page for a 2008 Jim Sheridan (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot) movie that appears to be a remake of Kurosawa’s Ikiru. I don’t really know what to say, except that I am hoping that this is based on a rumour rather than any actual fact. While I can quite understand the interest in remaking something like Sanjuro or Seven Samurai, remaking Ikiru really puzzles me.

Well, good luck to Sheridan if he is indeed to direct this.


Share

Discussion

  link

Ganesh

this is awful news. sheridan is an ok director, somewhat saccharine, but ikiru is excellent as is. there is no reason for a remake.

  link

Ben

Well I know this has been floating around for sometime in one form or another, so I’d still just take it as a possibility and nothing more. We haven’t heard anything new about that Weinstein/Zhang Ziyi Seven Samurai remake for a while have we?

  link

Vili Maunula

Indeed, Ben, we haven’t heard anything new about the Weinstein project. However, the latest that we know of it was that the script was being developed, and if that is indeed the case, it may take a while before the project moves forward from that stage.

  link

Ben

Right you are, Vili. I forgot they had actually hired a screenwriter for that one.

Who is that again? Someone who has written some westerns if I am not mistaken. Can’t find his name anywhere…

Interesting note on the Sheridan remake, the two screenwriters have worked in TV. Especially John Robin Baits.
The majority of Richard Price’s feature scripts have been crime thrillers, although he is also a novelist. And he actually adapted some of his own books.
Wonder why they chose these two?

  link

Vili Maunula

John Fusco is the man that was reported to be working on the new ‘Seven Samurai’ script. He is probably best known for scripting ‘Young Guns’, ‘Thunderheart’, and ‘Hidalgo’. Of these I have only seen ‘Hidalgo’, and I must say that I didn’t really think much of the script.

For some reason I didn’t actually pay any attention to the screenwriters attached to the Sheridan film, but now that you mentioned it, note that Richard Price worked on Ransom (1996), which in turn borrows from Kurosawa’s ‘High and Low’. So there actually seems to be a connection there.

  link

Ben

Well I’ve been off today… Yes, indeed Price worked on Ransom. Interesting.
Thanks regarding John Fusco.

  link

‘Ikiru’ to be adapted on TV :.: Akira Kurosawa News and Information

[…] TV Asahi’s remake is in fact the second Ikiru remake to be announced within the past few months, with an untitled Jim Sheridan project having been added to IMDb a few months ago. […]

  link

Kristy MacNichol

The people on the Craigslist film forum should be shot.

  link

Vili Maunula

How so?

  link

Jeremy Quintanilla

Dont know what Kristy is referring to exactly, but there has been some talk about Ikiru on those forums. What I read is some people really like Kurosawa’s Ikiru and have hope for the remake. I am sure there are plenty of stupid comments that I just haven’t read.

Just keep in mind Kristy, Craiglist is hardly a worthily forum for any topic and contains some of the most ridiculous comments I ever read. There are some rather nice movie only forums with members that actually can give a good and intelligent debate over a wide range of films.

Personally I find it a waste of time to even bother reading anything posted on Craiglist

  link

Charles

An American version of Ikiru is fine with me, and is potentially interesting, although it certainly wouldn’t be as good as the original. But rumor has it this will be a Tom Hanks vehicle, and since I consider Tom Hanks one of the most overrated and annoying actors in cinema today, I don’t have any hopes for this.

  link

Vili Maunula

There is, perhaps, something “Hanksian” in the sentimentality of Ikiru, so in a way I would understand his possible involvement. He is not among my favourite actors either, however.

Leave a comment

Log in or Register to post a comment!