Looks Like The “Red Dawn” Remake Is Really Going To Happen

One of my favorite movies growing up was always Red Dawn. I think a lot of guys from my generation feel the same way. There’s just something about that movie that makes us feel patriotic and gives us a sense of excitement. I mean, what if a bunch of Communists started invading our country and we had to fight back? What would we do? That’s the question the movie asks us.

Well, the original was great, but it was done in 1984 which means it’s absolutely ripe for a remake. I had questions on whether it could be done since we’re not really all that worried about Russian Communists these days, but it looks like MGM is getting serious about making this movie - they’ve just signed a director and a writer.

Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye, Disturbia) has been brought aboard to do the screenplay. Ellsworth spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and described his take on the new version:

“The tone is going to be very intense, very much keeping in mind the post-9/11 world that we’re in,” says Ellsworth, who was 11 when the original was released. “As ‘Red Dawn’ scared the heck out of people in 1984, we feel that the world is kind of already filled with a lot of paranoia and unease, so why not scare the hell out of people again?”

Well, I can’t say I was really all that scared when I saw the original. I thought it was cool, but I don’t remember thinking for a minute that the Russians would ever make it very far in Texas before my uncles and cousins would pull out their deer rifles and start having target practice on some comrades. So I’m not sure how he’s going to update it to modern times…or if the title will still make sense.

MGM is bringing Don Bradley aboard to direct. Bradley is pretty much a stunt guy who has also worked as a second AD on flicks such as Three Kings, The Bourne Supremacy, Superman Returns, The Bourne Ultimatum, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and Quantum of Solace. So he’s got some background coming in to it.

I think the real question on this movie will be whether or not they can get the same sort of awesome cast they had with the original. If you’ll recall the original Red Dawn starred Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey.