I’m not sure who exactly is excited about The Day The Earth Stood Still remake. Maybe Keanu Reeves, who will be taking home another huge paycheck for another lackluster sci-fi film. And now it has been announced that Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates have joined the Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) remake. Connelly and Bates are both great oscar-winning actresses, who will surely bring a new level to this project. But we also must remember that Connelly was involved in that horrible American remake of Dark Water, and Bates now makes 5 movies a year (4 of which usually aren’t good).
Connelly will play Helen Benson (played by Patricia Neal in the original), an employee of the United States Department of Commerce who meets Klaatu (Reeves), an alien who arrives on Earth with a warning to world leaders that their continued aggression will lead to annihilation by aliens watching from far away.
The original 1951 Robert Wise film was considered one of the best Science Fiction films of all time (#7 on Arthur C Clarke’s List) and was debated for it’s religious symbolism and many interpretations. Bernard Herrmann score is also notable, partly because of its use of two theremins. The film is currently ranked #187 of all time on IMDb, with a 8.1 rating.
Production begins December in Vancouver. The Day The Earth Stood Still will hit theaters on December 12th 2008.
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20th Century Fox has decided to move Scott Derrickson’s remake of the classic 1951 sci-fi action film The Day the Earth Stood Still, from Summer to Winter. The film starring Keanu Reeves as an alien visitor named Klaatu, will now hit theaters on December 12th 2008. The movie was originally scheduled to go head to head on May 9th with The Wachowski Brother’s Speed Racer. While this sounds like a smart business move, it actually has nothing to do with competition. The Day the Earth Stood Still hasn’t even begun principal photography, and was moved because it couldn’t meet the Summer release deadline.
The remake will be directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Hellraiser: Inferno) from a script by David Scarpa (The Last Castle). The original 1951 Robert Wise film was considered one of the best Science Fiction films of all time (#7 on Arthur C Clarke’s List) and was debated for it’s religious symbolism and many interpretations. Bernard Herrmann score is also notable, partly because of its use of two theremins. The film is currently ranked #187 of all time on IMDb, with a 8.1 rating.
sources: Variety
The Exorcism of Emily Rose director Scott Derrickson has been hired to helm The Day the Earth Stood Still remake at Fox.
Our friends at FirstShowing report that Derrickson is currently prepping one of the longest shoots in Canadian history. The Vancouver shoot will run all the way to November. All of this according to the Hollywood North Report and IESB.
The original 1951 science fiction movie tells the story of a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to warn its leaders not to take their conflicts into space, or they will face lethal consequences. The movie was produced in the aftermath of WWII, the start of the Cold War, the development of the Atomic bomb and Hydrogen bomb, and the beginning of the Space age. While the originally reflected the cultural fears of the time, I’m sure the new film will reflect our terror fears.
The Day the Earth Stood Still is currently set for a May 9th 2009 release date.
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