Movie News: Remakes Edition

Tis the season for remakes in Hollywood! It seems as if all the producers got together and decided that every old movie needs a remake with a younger, fresher cast. These impending remakes have the public a-buzz with excitement, and I'm sure people from older generations are interested to see how some of their favorite movies will be remade with the Hollywood of 2010. Two remakes that are coming out soon are Tron: Legacy and True Grit, both of which star Jeff Bridges.
Tron: Legacy

This might actually only qualify as a sequel since it's a continuation of the movie Tron from 1982, in which Jeff Bridges also starred. But it has a completely revamped storyline from the original, so it seems to be more of a remake. Tron: Legacy centers on the the original character Kevin Flynn's (Bridges) son Sam and his quest to find his father who has mysteriously disappeared. What Sam comes to find is that his father has been trapped in the very virtual world he has created, and must battle all sorts of evil to save him from it. Even though I haven't seen the original, after seeing several trailers for TL, I am very inclined to see this movie. Awesome visual effects and a soundtrack from Daft Punk have put this on my to-see list. I think I'll pass on the 3D though, 2010 has been a 3D overload and it's not even over yet! Disney seems to aiming this movie at a younger, hip audience, so you don't have to be a fan of the original movie to understand what is going on. The plot seems interesting to hold people's attention, hopefully it flows well. The film is directed by first-timer Joseph Kosinski. Tron: Legacy hits theaters on December 17th, 2010.
True Grit

Also starring Jeff Bridges, this is a remake of the 1969 movie that starred John Wayne. John Wayne's performance as hardened U.S Marshall Rooster Cogburn earned him an Oscar. Judging from the recently released trailer, I have no doubt that Jeff Bridges will be able to meet, even top Wayne's performance. The Coen Brothers, who delivered the 2007 success No Country For Old Men are once again in the director's chair for this film. Like the original, True Grit is about a no-nonsense U.S. Marshall that is hired by a young girl to find the man who killed her father. Josh Brolin is will be playing the villain and Matt Damon also stars as the Texas Ranger who accompanies Cogburn and the young girl, Mattie. Once again, I have not seen the original, but the Coen brothers have yet to disappoint me, so I think this film is in capable hands. True Grit will be in theaters on Christmas day of 2010.
Arthur

Arthur isn't just a show about an adventurous aardvark and his school friends. This Arthur, is about the misadventures of a drunken British playboy that was made iconic by the late Dudley Moore. This film has also been branded a remake in which British comedian and actor Russell Brand stars as Arthur. In a gender role switch up, Helen Mirren will be starring as the witty butler/maid, a role that John Gielgud has made famous. Given Russell Brand's nature, I'd say he's the perfect choice to play a drunken playboy. I think this version of Arthur will bring a new, younger audience because of Russell Brand. Brand recent hit Get Him To The Greek really launched his career into the spotlight. But he has some big shoes to fill, people hold the original Arthur in high regard, so Brand will have to use all his comedic might in order to do Arthur justice. The film will also star Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte and will be released in 2011. 

These are just a few of many (and I mean many) remakes Hollywood has set its sights on. I think after 2011, Hollywood needs to give remakes a rest and come up with some original material...which is pretty hard to come by these days. On a side note, Tyler Perry's adaptation For Colored Girls seems to be getting pretty dismal reviews. This makes me sad, I had such high hopes for this movie, because I had read the original play and loved it. Despite the reviews, I still want to see this movie to decide for myself whether the movie was good or not. So far IMDb has given it a 3.8 out of 10, yikes!! That's a pretty low score, which makes me wonder what must have gone wrong with this production. I guess I shall have to see for myself.