Rod Lurie’s (The Contender) remake of the 1971 Dustin Hoffman starring, Sam Peckinpah directed thriller Straw Dogs begins filming today, and it’s main cast has been set, says Variety. The cast includes actors such as James Marsden (X-Men Trilogy, Superman Returns), Kate Bosworth (Superman Returns), James Woods, Dominic Purcell (TV’s Prison Break) and Alexander Skarsgard (TV’s True Blood). Filming began today in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is scheduled to be released in 2010. The film is considered a “reimagining” as it changes the plot of the film to a certain degree, and the actual inner workings of the plot may also change.
James Marsden (X-Men 1-3, Superman Returns) takes the Dustin Hoffman role of David Sumner, a Hollywood screenwriter, who in this version, visits his wife’s (Kate Bosworth) old hometown in the deep South, where her old boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgard) decides her return “is an opportunity to reclaim glory” (i.e., it doesn’t end well). The roles for James Woods and Dominic Purcell hasn’t yet been made clear, although one could possibly infer that they members of the group that terrorize the husband and wife. Details on that should be forthcoming.
Confession: I’ve never seen the original Straw Dogs. I understand it’s considered something of a classic, and that I should see it, but it has somehow slipped by my radar. Now with the forthcoming remake, I may have to finally catch up on the original, as I usually like to do before I see a remake. That being said, I think this could be a good idea. I like that they’re at least trying something a little different with the plot, as opposed to simply redoing the original wholesale. Rod Lurie, while occasionally face-smackingly unsubtle and biased, has a good skill in writing and directing, and could help bring a real tension to the overall picture. I also think the cast is strong, and James Marsden always has a good leading man quality to him, even in minor roles like Superman Returns. And more James Woods is never a bad thing.
What do you think of the idea of a reamke of Straw Dogs and what do you think of the cast?
