Page 1 of Scanners remake

I came across an article on Screendaily that mentions Scanners is being remade this year by Artisan. There`s no info at IMDB except `in production`.

I like the original as it is. Next they`ll remake The Dead Zone movie and countless other classics. There`s already The Dead Zone TV series...

Does anyone know if Scanners is being rewritten? Who`s doing it?

Anyone know anything more about this?

dear god is nothing safe from a tits-up remake these days??
i love the original and this is the first i`ve heard of this.
wasn`t there a tv series of scanners a few years back though?

why remake great films??? the sheer arrogance of these morons thinking that they can somehow make them better and to appeal to more people.!!
remake seems to be another word for "dumb-down" now.

"NEW YORK (Variety) - In its first substantial fright foray since "The Blair Witch Project," Artisan Pictures will remake "Scanners," the 1981 David Cronenberg thriller best remembered for its exploding head finale.


The original revolved around a scientist`s attempt to infiltrate an underground movement of "scanners," people with extraordinary telepathic abilities who are using them to take over the world. The Cronenberg-scripted film touched on paranoia and terrorism conspiracies, themes that will be amped up in the contemporized version. Also improved will be the special effects used for the signature gray-matter grenade finale.


Rights holders Pierre David and Rene Malo will produce with Clark Peterson. David ran a large indie Canadian production company that made the original film as well as the Cronenberg-directed "The Brood" and "Videodrome." Since Malo financed them, he held the rights, which explains why the writer-director wasn`t involved in the transaction.


"We were approached by Artisan just as we were about to hire a showrunner to do a TV series based on `Scanners,"` said David. "But they persuaded us the film could reach new audiences unfamiliar with the original," he explained.


"The original was more sophisticated than the slasher films coming out at that time, and it is considered something of a classic to the generation of filmmakers we will be trying to involve in the remake," said Richard Saperstein, Artisan`s president of development and production. "This kind of film is exactly what we want to do -- an elevated and stylish genre film which can be made for a reasonable budget."


Artisan will look increasingly to horror, a genre that put the film company on the map with 1999`s wildly profitable "Blair Witch," then stunted its growth when the sequel flopped the following year. Undaunted, Artisan is stirring the "Witch" cauldron with a possible third film that would be done with the original filmmakers, who didn`t take part in the sequel. "

This item was edited on Monday, 13th January 2003, 12:55

It won`t be the same without Michael Ironside. :/

Oh joy, another unnecessary and (probably) inferior remake. Just when I thought a market already saturated with crap movies couldn`t take any more, I`m proved wrong. I imagine they may well reduce the original plot in favour of a special effects bonanza (pure speculation of course), like so many films these days.

"Plot? Who needs one of those? We`ve got CGI!"

Hodge.

Just thought of an actual positive side to remakes, we get the original on DVD around the same time usually with half decent special features, as a cash in.

On the downside though, it usually eclipses the original so that people who have`nt heard of it in the first place will in future associate the remake with the name.
Example, i was astounded by the amount of people who started talking about helena bonham carter when i mentioned planet of the apes among freinds recently.
There are no remakes which i can see any point in apart from ones like Insomnia (insomnia) and Heat (LA Takedown) and the stupidity of making psycho shot-for-shot beggers belief. what next?? Blade Runner with Wil Smith???

WHAT??????????????????????????

There is no way it will be as good or better than the original.

Surley David Croenenberg can put a stop to this?

floyd

"On the downside though, it usually eclipses the original so that people who have`nt heard of it in the first place will in future associate the remake with the name."

What, like Get Carter, and Rollerball? :)