How unsurprising it is I find myself today writing about another musical remake, it’s soon getting to the point where I can’t name any musicals that have yet to be remade in one form or another.
MTV this time are the studio getting in on the act. Variety say they have optioned a remake of the 70’s cult classic (the movie possibly defines the word cult) The Rocky Horror Picture Show and they aren’t even going to bother updating the script!
They are literally going to shoot from what Jim Sharman and Richard O’Brien wrote in the 70’s, with a couple of new songs here and there.
How lazy can you get?
Lox Adler, who produced the original film way back when is on board. The MTV project will be co-financed by BermanBraun and Fox Television Studios along with the BSkyB and Sky Movies, who would also distribute.
It sounds like the movie will be a made for t.v. production, which if all goes to plan will be shown Halloween 09 in both the U.S. and the U.K.
The original film starred Tim Curry in the most memorable performance of his career as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a absolutely bizarre Transylvanian transvestite who make life hell for the newly wed couple played by Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon who stumble across his home late at night.
The movie was a massive cult success, driving $140 million at the box office sales but not all at once. The film played for the longest time in theatres (it’s still being played in some cinema’s, 33 years after it debuted) than any movie in history and was the first to adopt (and it has to be said very cleverly marketed) midnight showings.
Youthful fans had found a film they could cling on to, and boy did they never let go.
Can lightening strike twice? Remakes have taught us, it’s a phenomenon that rarely, if ever happens.
4 Comments
This is disastrous. Even though the film’s message of sexual experimentation might go over in today’s relaxed society – although homosexuality isn’t nearly the taboo subject it was in 1975 – Tim Curry’s performance was so perfect and iconic that it would be impossible to top. In fact, I personally consider it blasphemy to even attempt it.
Ditto to what Ray said. You can’t recreate something like that. The charm and magic of cult films is that they’re blissfully unaware of themselves. Trying to force a film to be that just won’t work.
Not to mention that Tim Curry’s performance was iconic and there isn’t a single actor that could step into that role and do it justice.
Plus, the fact that it’s going to made for TV means they know it would suck at the box office, especially since there are theaters that still show Rocky Horror at weekly midnight showings.
I’m sorry, but this one of “those” films that should not be touched. MTV, and every other movie mogul, needs to come up with some new and original instead of remaking or stemming off from what was already successful. Remake something poor into something wonderful. Now that would be a feat! :)
What’s next? A remake of Casablanca? Gone with the Wind part 2?
Idiots.