Editorials > You Won't Like This: Weinsteins Remaking "Seven Samurai"

In an effort to "highlight [their] commitment to providing international filmmakers with a global platform and [to] blaze the trail for high-quality, action-packed, Asian-themed adventures," the Weinstein Co. has made plans to release two new films set in "the Far East" (Variety).

The first is benign enough; a mystery set in 1941 China called "Shanghai." John Cusack, Gong Li, and Ken Watanabe are headlining for director Mikael Hafstrom ("1408," starring Cusack, released by TWC). The screenplay was written by Hossein Amini ("The Four Feathers"). Shooting is scheduled to begin May 5 in London, then move to Thailand and possibly China.

The second is the long-coming dreaded remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai." I know what you're thinking, "But 'The Magnificent Seven' was a remake of 'Seven Samurai' and that wasn't terrible." True enough. In fact there are even a few things in John Sturges's western that I like better (James Coburn is in it, for example). But here's what TWC has in mind:

"Seven Samurai" will start shooting in the fourth quarter for release in 2009. The cast will feature American, European and Asian stars, and a director is in advanced talks with TWC.

I can see it now: Channing Tatum, Ryan Reynolds, RZA, Eddie Izzard, Ben Kingsley, Hayden Panettiere, and John Cho ARE "Seven Samurai." Where exactly is this ethnically-diverse group of "samurai" going to be fighting bandits? Maybe William Monahan can write it and set it in modern day Boston.

The Weinsteins are also releasing the Jackie Chan-Jet Li team-up pic, "The Forbidden Kingdom," this weekend, which, to be fair, has been getting some decent press.

-David Morgan