Original Let The Right One In Director Talks Remake

Posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta

If you’ve been following /Film, you’ve heard about a little Swedish coming of age vampire film which transcends the horror genre. Let The Right One In hits theaters next month, but a English-language remake is already in thew works with Cloverfield director Matt Reeves at the helm. Tomas Alfredson, director of the original Swedish adaptation, isn’t too happy:

“Remakes should be made of movies that aren’t very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong,” Alfredson tells Moviezine. “I’m very proud of my movie and think it’s great, but the Americans might be of an other opinion. The saddest thing for me would be to see that beautiful story made into something mainstream.” … “I don’t like to whine, but of course – if you’d spent years on painting a picture, you’d hate to hear buzz about a copy even before your vernissage!”"

American audiences aren’t going to flock to a subtitled movie, so I understand the value of a English-language remake, as it could potentially expose millions upon millions of more people to a fantastic story they wouldn’t otherwise have experienced. I have a lot of faith in Matt Reeves, but at the same time, I’m concerned that an American adaptation will get everything I loved about the original Swedish film wrong. Alfredson’s film is subtle and Hollywood usually doesn’t get subtle right. But on the other hand, we’ll always have the original Swedish film on DVD…

Discuss: What is your opinion on English language remakes?

via: BloodyDisgusting

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Adaptation, Drama, Horror, Remakes, , ,

  • REAL6
    “Remakes should be made of movies that aren’t very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong,” Alfredson tells Moviezine. “I’m very proud of my movie and think it’s great, but the Americans might be of an other opinion. The saddest thing for me would be to see that beautiful story made into something mainstream.” … “I don’t like to whine, but of course – if you’d spent years on painting a picture, you’d hate to hear buzz about a copy even before your vernissage!”"



    This guy is one of my Heroes already!!!!
  • I fully agree with Alfredson. You should never remake a great movie no matter what language the original movie is in.

    If more foreign films were shown in the US the general audience would open up to them and after some time no one would mind the subtitles.

    Here in Europe we watch subtitled american movies all the time and couldn't be happier. With that said, if possible I watch english language movies without subtitles since I'm fairly fluent, but when I watch say korean movies subtitles are necessary for me to understand the movie and they don't detract much at all from the experience.

    My point is - subtitles are something you get used to. There are a lot of great foreign movies that you would miss out on if you can't accept the subtitles - so no, I don't see the point of remaking a movie just because the audience doesn't want subtitles.
  • theanner
    If the problem was really just that people won't go to a subtitled movie, wouldn't they just dub it? But really somebody wants to make money off an idea belonging to someone else.
  • Goobity
    English Dub. Case closed.
  • Hear Hear Tomas Alfredson.

    "American audiences aren’t going to flock to a subtitled movie"...tell that to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Passion Of The Christ, Apocalypto, Hero,.... They flock when they have a chance to flock

    As for English-language remakes:

    -The Departed might be good on its own, but compared to Infernal Affairs it sucks big time
    -I haven't seen the Japanese original but The Grudge sucks
    -I haven't seen the originals but The Lake House, Bangkok Dangerous, Pulse,... weren't very good
    -I haven't seen them but The Eye, Taxi, Jungle 2 Jungle and Just Visiting are all supposedly bad.

    But then again there are quite a few good ones: Vanilla Sky, Wicker Park, True Lies, The Ring, No Reservations (granted I haven't seen the originals).

    My point is remakes are ok, but they shouldn't be made too soon (some are announced before the original is even released) and Americans should have the chance to see the originals. I'm convinced they'd go see them if given the chance. Subtitled, or even dubbed.
  • So many people are against the idea of English dubbing, and this is because its done extremely bad 99.9% of the time. I'd love to see studios put more time in voice casting and recording of dub tracks, because I think many more Americans would give foreign language films a chance if there were a quality option. Some would argue that the english language editions of some of Miyazaki's films show how it can be handled right, or at least half-decently.
  • Agony
    Well, for me, I'm extremely interested in the original, regardless of what Hollywood decides to do with it. It is a shame though that they make announcements like this before the original film even has a chance to find it's legs in any market.
  • Domino
    I'm against any remake that doesn't have the original creators blessing regardless on language issues.
  • Ender
    Can I get a hell yeah. I like this guy already.
  • This is the kind of thing I like hearing from a filmmaker.
  • ANGRY BROOMSTICK!!!
    HEAR, HEAR!!!!

    NO MORE GODDAMNED REMAKES!!!

    I'M SO PISSED OFF THEY'RE REMAKING ROCKY HORROR..... GODDAMN IT!!!!
  • Mr Hollywood: You should check out the original "Abre Los Ojos" that Vanilla Sky is based on. The Spanish original is one of my favorite movies. Highly recommended!
  • Tony
    "American audiences aren’t going to flock to a subtitled movie."

    That explains why Pan's Labyrinth and The Passion of the Christ weren't successful.
  • FR
    "Remakes should be made of movies that aren’t very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong,” Alfredson tells Moviezine. “I’m very proud of my movie and think it’s great, but the Americans might be of an other opinion. The saddest thing for me would be to see that beautiful story made into something mainstream.” … “I don’t like to whine, but of course – if you’d spent years on painting a picture, you’d hate to hear buzz about a copy even before your vernissage!”

    I'll repost this quote... again..
    It should be mandatory study material for all film students of today.

    I don't think I've ever seen anyone point out everything that is wrong with remakes, and do this so eloquently, harshly, and 100% accurately.

    Thank you, Mr. Alfredson.
  • joshua
    subtitle the damn thing
  • Tony: It's a rare occurrence, and Passion is a huge exception because even though it was subtitled, it was still made for american audiences. Also, Pan's Labyrinth is another exception because it had a name Hollywood director, and incredible special effects to pull the non subtitle crowd in. A film like Let The Right One In was made for very little, and has no such money shots.
  • Goobity
    Lackluster acting in an ill-conceived remake are far worse than botched dubbing of an original work.

    Peter, you said it best.."I’m concerned that an American adaptation will get everything I loved about the original Swedish film wrong."

    If the film can't stand on it's own (in whatever language), then it will not spread it's message. Thousands of foreign films seem to blossom and find an audience with no problem. If this film is good, then it will get seen. A re-make is entirely pointless and presumptuous.
  • Goobity says "Thousands of foreign films seem to blossom and find an audience with no problem"

    Please list the thousands of foreign films which found an american audience no problem. There are only 11 foreign films in history that have made over $15 million at the American box office. And I would guess that more than half of them wouldn't have passed the $15 million mark if it wasn't for Academy Award wins.

    The fact of the matter is, the people who loved Let The Right One In will spread word of mouth, but word of mouth can only go so far for films like these. LTRON in particular is an arthouse vampire film. The arthouse crowd doesn't want to see a "horror movie" and the horror movie crowd doesn't want to read subtitles. So at the end of the day, it goes unseen by the vast majority. And this is sad, because its a wonderful film that should be experienced by everyone.
  • erik
    If he's not for a remake how about a reimagining of sorts. Maybe it can do be what The Magnificent Seven was to Seven Samurai, or in more recent terms, The Departed to Internal Affairs.
  • Rena
    This guy I like this guy. I doubt anyone would go see this movie English, dubbed, or subbed. Depending on how the remake comes out. Like if its like the prom night/blakc xmas remake. Unless it stars Zac Efron in which case anyone under 16 will flock to it.
  • I should also remind everyone, Let The Right One In is an adaptation of a novel, so it should be noted that the director is not the sole author.
  • Dave
    Why would Matt Reeves inspire confidence?
  • Goobity
    @ Peter: I said nothing about an 'American' audience. And it's not really fair to judge a film's worth or quality by it's box office success in the U.S. There are other markets for films, are there not? Just as one example, Miyazki's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" was recently huge in Japan. Will it be as highly regarded in the states? Doubtful.
    Would it be better served if it were re-made by Disney with an ethnic lead character surrounded by funny animals? Absolutely not.

    American audiences, in general, are more apt to seek out 'homegrown' fare. There are those who are open to what else is out there. Who cares if they aren't 'blockbusters' in American theaters. Can you list ONE re-make that was truly 'better' than it's foreign counterpart?

    Just because it's "sad" that alot of people won't see a film isn't justification for an American director to do a shitty re-make that no one will see.
  • Goobity: but you've proven my point. What if the remake wasn't shitty? What if there were a better way to present a film like this to the non subtitle reading american audience? Why must it be crappy?
  • Goobity
    Peter: I've proven your point? How?
    Why must it be crappy? Well, I'm cynical that way. :) Why can't a film be recognized for it's own merits, without Hollywood stepping in and thinking that changing it makes it good? It doesn't work.


    And Matt Reeves has only proven that he knows how to shake a camera. Wow.
  • goob, matt did some solid character centric work on television shows like felicity
  • @ Andreas

    I definitely intend to check out Abre Los Ojos some day

    @ Peter Sciretta

    I'm 100% convinced that American moviegoers would watch subtitled films if they were more readily available and marketed better rather than opening in limited releases. The whole wored watches English-language movies subtitled (or dubbed), why would Americans be different?

    Take the Indian movie Om Shanti Om which was released last year: it opened in only 114 cinemas in the US yet made over 1.7 million in the opening weekend, coming in at number 11. God knows how much the film would have made if there actually had been publicity surrounding the film and more theaters showing it.
  • Goobity
    @ Andreas: Vanilla Sky was great, Abre Los Ojos... So much better... :)
  • You know what? Ive been of the opinion I will paste after this sentence is over for years, and have only now realized the right answer it. The opinion being this, "American audiences aren’t going to flock to a subtitled movie, so I understand the value of a English-language remake, as it could potentially expose millions upon millions of more people to a fantastic story they wouldn’t otherwise have experienced."

    My answer? Fuck those people. LET THEM MISS IT. Itll be more special that way, and appreciated only by people who truly seek these films out, and love them. Let the rest watch Hollywood Chihuahua or whatever the fuck its called
  • Goobity
    Peter: "matt did some solid character centric work on television shows like felicity"

    Oh, Then a theatrical re-make of an already well-made film by him will DEFINITELY suck. To quote Tomas Alfredson, "The saddest thing for me would be to see that beautiful story made into something mainstream.”

    @ marcomc2: Right on, brother.
  • That's why you see almost every japanese speaks english in Geisha, every Thai speaks english in Anna and the king. It doesn't make sense to me at all.

    I'm Thai btw.
  • sproks
    Is it the story or the way that the story is presented that deserves more exposure? We can take The Departed versus Infernal Affairs as an example. Honestly, I don't understand the comparison between the two. They have similar plot elements, except for the ending. But the way it was presented left me with the impression that I was watching two different movies. The disorientation from IA was lost in TD's slower pace and expanded exposition. TD seemed to focus much more heavily on Matt Damon's character whereas IA balanced Tony and Andy. TD became, to me, the story of one character's struggle. IA, in contrast, focused more on the parallels between the two men and their situations. Also lost in translation is the tie to Buddhist hell referred to in the Chinese title (Timeless Way), which indicates a theme of being stuck. I didn't get that from the American film. How could I when the cultural context wasn't there. (Perhaps the nearest thing they could've referenced in TD to introduce the same concept would've been Keats' "Ode on a Grecian Urn" or Sisyphus or Tantalus in Hades.)

    I guess my point is, if anyone was hoping to get the same story from TD as from IA, it's not possible. They say different things by virtue of the different cultural contexts and the different styles employed. An American remake, regardless of its quality, can't be the original film.
  • d
    film/story/character remakes and adaptations have grown exponentially in the past decade. filmmakers, creatives and execs are inclined to allow the all-powerful hollywood to take and spin what they will in order to turn a profit. the problem is that america churns out more quantity than substance and quality filmmaking and writing begins to dissipate. it is becoming increasingly difficult to find even 5 worthy nominations for Best Picture out of the 400+ hollywood films produced each year. so it is not surprising to find more and more quality filmmaking and story-telling happening internationally. the normal trend would then allow the hollywood-machine to have it's take in order to reach a broader audience and give the filmmakers/story greater exposure. this makes hollywood filmmaking even more superficial and the "problem" (not financial, of course) grows.

    we live in an age of communication and technology where hollywood should not have total sovereignty. audiences will find the story-telling they seek and filmmakers/creatives can reach their audiences much easier. when we realize this and begin to protect our stories from this "hollywoodization", international filmmakers and creatives may be given their proper place and respect, while gifted american writers and filmmakers may be truly creative again...
  • Rory
    I wonder if it will be filmed with hand-held cameras...?
  • Rob
    Personally, i'll watch the original. Subtitled films really aren't a problem, and the dialogue is only one element of the film, after all.

    I understand the point that in America the average moviegoer (and therefore the multiplexes) clearly doesn't "do" subtitled films - if true, it's a fact that speaks volumes - but that's not a good enough reason for an English remake, or even dub; it's a good reason for studios to find a genuine use for the marketing chimps. Get them to earn their pay AND encourage an enjoyment of a wider range of cinema.
  • Lukas2k
    I HATE remakes...

    Remakes are usually made bigger or shinnier than the original ones which usually makes them less interesting...

    But there are some exceptions, like Funny Games which was remade by Aneke the original's director. NOT someone else... in that case I don't mind because it's still the director's vision...

    Unless there's a rewrite of the screenplay, then you're screwed
  • thomas040
    how is it being remade without his approval? SOMEONE must have sold the script to the US studio? If not the director, then who?
  • thomas: the film was an adaptation of a novel, so he does not own the rights to the story.
  • spacedog
    It's so sad that Americans won't read - that a whole other movie needs to be made to avoid subtitles.
  • needapass
    "Please list the thousands of foreign films which found an american audience no problem."

    every british, canadian and occasional australian movie that gets released, plus, the "country of first publication" is often the uk on disney movies.

    there.
  • I agree with the director. leave this alone. i saw it today. it was amazing. if you want to read my review go to my website.
  • matt
    Actually, you're completely wrong about that. every single serious horror fan i know has seen a ton of subtitled european and asian horror movies, largely because american directors can't seem to make good horror films any more. also, most of the serious film fans i know are also big horror fans.
  • Revolver
    Remaking this movie is the dumbest idea ever. Makes me sick.
  • Jacopo Belbo
    I'm an European guy, and frankly I just can't stand anymore the US movie execs thinking about remaking any intelligent non-US film done. I think the matter is with the movie execs, not with the US people. They're the worst dumbass kind of people you can imagine, and the only thing they can see (in their tragic travesty of intelligence) is MONEY. Just think about it. MONEY. They have ever been able to remake "Himmel uber Berlin" , one of the more subtle, delicate, multilayered movie ever done ... "City of Angels" anyone ?
  • Andre
    This was the best movie I've seen in years. I dont mind subtitles, I love to hear movies in the language in which they were filmed. And no I will not watch the hollywood remake. Im afraid it will ruin it for me. The book was also very good and I recommend it to anyone who liked the movie. And being an american I know many people who won't watch a movie that is subtitled cause they dont like to read or are just too lazy.
  • Jon Higgs
    This remake machine is getting pathetic, remaking a film that has barely been released I find kind of rude to the original film maker, next they'll be remaking films before the original has even been made!

    Why don't the Europeans and Asians start getting their own back and remake American films?!
  • Yeoni
    "Why don't the Europeans and Asians start getting their own back and remake American films?!"
    A waste of money honestly? Ooo let's remake high school musical and twilight. eh no...and the movies that America did decently, why bother?

    Honestly, they can remake all they want, it's not going to turn out as great as Alfredson's, I'll just stick to the original and complain about the remake like I always do.
    Matt Reeves lacks manners, he's just saying Alfredson made the movie wrong or something, like he can do it better. It's insulting especially after what Alfredson expressed in the interview.
    Get off the high horse you rode in on, Matt Reeves, you can shake a camera and direct like two episodes of a tv show oh well done, let us watch you screw this up and reveal to us what little talent you have.
  • Tim
    I believe; the only reason that the majority, or percieved majority, of Americans don't watch movies of varying languages is that they arent advertised well enough in America. I'm an American and "Let the Right one In" is now one of my favorite movies! However, I just stumbled apon it by luck in a bin of movies for sale at a video rental shop. ...And, in actuality, the dubed version irritated me. i prefer the subtitled version.
    As for remakes, I'm always up for a remake! The original is always still there if the remake sucks, right? I agree though, that it is disrespectful to remake a movie so soon. The original should be given time to be viewed and let to "soak in" before a remake is made.
    Also, for the record, i think, "Cloverfield" was horrible. I'll be curious if Matt Reeves can remake "Let the Right One In" and at least maintain the feel of the original.
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