A Remake of Lion in Winter?

[jducoeur]

Okay, on the one hand it's rather cool that Showtime is remaking A Lion in Winter -- it's a great play. But this is one of those cases where I'm forced to wonder at it. I mean, yes -- I'm sure that Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close can acquit themselves well in the lead roles. But the original film (starring Peter O'Toole and Kathryn Hepburn) is one of the most perfect movies ever made, IMO. It's hard to see how the remake, however good, can stack up...

Comments

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

I suspect that the way it happened was this:
Showtime execs decided that they need to make N movies a year
Showtime execs take bids on ideas for such movies
Showtime execs weigh the suggestions in terms of expected audience and chance to draw new subscribers
A paucity of new ideas results in a choice to remake a great old movie. You are lucky they didn't pick Dom DeLuise in Citizen Kane.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

I just love Patrick Stewart as an actor. I'll watch it.

But i hope they never remake Animal House.

Liam

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

It's good, but it's very, very late 60s in execution and the mistress's clothing etc. So I'd like to see the new one. Although the one review at IMDB says its ghastly.

Re:

[jducoeur]

it's very, very late 60s in execution and the mistress's clothing etc.

I'll grant that the look is dated; that tends to wash over me without my noticing it much. But the acting is superb -- solid performances from an almost all-star (and star-to-be) cast. The only really false note in the whole movie is the very last scene, which is oddly forced (presumably an attempt to go out on a "happy" note)...

Lion in Winter remake

[(Anonymous)]

I guess the most logical reason that The Lion in Winter is ripe for remaking is that the play has been redone successfuly over the years --recently with Laurence Fishburne and Stockard Channing in New York.

As a Shakespeare fan, I see nothing out of joint about having plays 'remade' again and again, whether on stage, TV, or film.

I, too, love the original film version.