We Blew It: They're Remaking Easy Rider
When you think about Dennis Hopper's 1969 classic "Easy Rider," what comes to your mind? The disillusionment young people felt in the '60s that created the counterculture movement? The fact that anyone with a story and a camera can theoretically make a hit movie? The idea that no matter what kinds of communities you create outside of the mainstream system, the horrors of conformity will always be hanging over your head? Well, obviously not, because it's clearly about just being cool on motorcycles. Any deeper meaning is just stupid. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.)
I can't say whether this is the mentality brought to the table by the group of license holders that plan to remake "Easy Rider," and I certainly don't want to accuse anyone of anything. That being said, it probably wasn't hard to let your mind wander to some pessimistic conclusions when Variety reported that a reimagining of the film was on its way. And yes, I did mean that a group of license holders were responsible for this new take on the film. Kodiak Pictures, the Jean Boulle Group, and Defiant Studios will all produce the project, which currently does not have a studio attached. It is likely that it could be distributed by Columbia Pictures, as they did with the original, but that is unconfirmed.
This used to be a helluva good country
Writers and directors are currently being sought after for this new "Easy Rider" film, so its story is still being developed. However, Kodiak Pictures' Maurice Fadida told Variety that they aim for this new film to bring the themes and messages of the original into the modern age:
"Our goal is to build upon the counterculture and freedom narrative the original left us with, and give the youth of today a film that pays serious attention to their own countercultures and challenges. What the young viewers of today are experiencing in their every day lives may seem crazy to older generations, but it can very well become the societal norm, as was the case with the cultural shift of the late 1960s. We are hoping to play a part in that shift."
Now, I am going to be honest here: I'm a member of Today's Youth™ and am younger than most of my peers here at /Film. However, that gives me a very important advantage, as I understand what makes a good portrayal of younger generations on screen. It's hard for me to really think about my generation's countercultures, as a lot of them just seem too mainstream and accessible to be considered as such. Perhaps this clarification will be answered once an actual story is revealed, and maybe it'll eventually turn out to be a humdinger of a film. However, we certainly have our doubts at the moment.