Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn made a big splash in Hollywood this year with his neo-noir Drive, placing on many lists in our Best of 2011 round-up. You may have heard of his previous films Bronson (featuring the break-out of The Dark Knight Rises villain Tom Hardy) and his Tarkovsky-tinged Valhalla Rising, but not many have seen the trilogy that launched his career, the gangster saga Pusher.
I just got through the trio of films myself, and found them each distinct and gripping, a great preview to see what Refn had in store. Approved by Refn himself this remake, from Spanish director Luis Prieto, includes the ensemble of Agyness Deyn, Richard Coyle, Bronson Webb and Paul Kaye. The film follows the storyline of the first (which starred Kim Bodnia and Mads Mikkelsen), concerning a newbie drug dealer that enters a spiraling ring of problems, leading him to fix them at any cost. Anyway, the Daily Mail (via The Playlist) have the first two stills of Deyn and Cole, which look to mirror the style of the original.
Not seeing how these could improve on Refn’s version with the talent involved, I won’t be seeking them out (and I’m sure I won’t have an easy chance to), as they’ll likely only appear in UK theaters. If you are over there, let us know if you are looking forward to them in the comments and check out the stills above and below. As for Refn, he’ll be shooting Only God Forgives with his boy toy Ryan Gosling this February, with a release likely for next fall.
