A trailer reboot?

Here is an interesting experiment by a rather industrious individuals in response to the increasing amount of remakes/reboots Hollywood is producing: recut the trailer of the original Clash of the Titans and The Wolf Man using today's marketing aesthetics. As you can see below, it's quite effective and it posits the interesting question: if younger audiences were marketed older films with contemporary sensibilities, would it build an interest in viewing older films? I would certainly be for such an endeavor as an appreciation for older material only builds a more sophisticated and savvy audience.





Then again, that's not what the whole remake/reboot trend is all about, right? If people watched older films and demanded newer ones, studios would actually have to develop original ideas. I think it would be safe to say that that well is certainly almost dry—in terms of the majors anyway.

The Warrior's Way

Here's one of those interesting projects that seems to be flying under the radar, despite what appears to be solid potential behind the scenes. Once called Laundry Warrior, the film now known as The Warrior's Way is an ambitious melding of East and West, literally. The film revolves around "a swordsman from the Far East who flees from his past to the American badlands where he meets the town drunkard, and a circus knife thrower both of whom harbor powerful secrets" that may throw the town into chaos...
It's a simple enough premise, one that lends itself to high concept genre imaginings. However, a premise alone is just the first step. Information has been scarce, but the staff list goes something like this: it is written and directed by NYC Film school teacher Sngmoo Lee, who has partnered with Barrie Osborne of Lord of the Rings to produce the film. "Fight choreography is by SHIMOMURA Yuji, a protoge of Donnie Yen, whose credits include VERSUS and ARAGAMI, while stunts will be overseen by Hollywood veteran Augie Davis (The Water Horse)"*. In front of the camera are the likes of Geoffrey Rush as the Drunkard, Kate Bosworth as the Circus Knife Performer, Tony Cox, and JANG Dong-gun (Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War, The Coast Guard) as the Warrior. With Osborne's involvement, Weta Digital is sure to provide some effects for some of the ambitious set pieces.
And that's where the information stops. A single promotional image (above) floated around the net for a while, but the August 2009 release date set by the film's press release has come and gone sans film. However, back in June of 2009, a promo reel did emerge, most likely out of Cannes, for the film and gives the only glimpse into the film's stylish visuals, setting, and atmosphere.



As one can see, there is some incredible potential in this reel; certainly not something to judge the final film by, but a enticing glimpse into how the estimated $50 million budget is being (or has been) spent. So, what could be the cause of the delay? With a cast and staff that should by all accounts "sell itself" why has the picture not been picked up for distribution? Have there been cost overruns? Production problems? Or is the film just not working as hoped? The lack of information through official channels certainly undermines confidence in the film. Yet, just seeing the footage presented so far is more than enough to strongly hope that this Wuxia-Western will ultimately see the light of day.

(*source: Kung Fu Cinema)