We were actually wondering the other day why Fritz Lang's Metropolis, with its evil robot woman, futuristic landscapes and timeless stand against capitalism, had managed to escape the glare of the Hollywood remakers. It seems they were one step ahead of us.
Producers Thomas Schuely (Alexander) and Mario Kassar are planning an update of the 1927 classic about a future where humanity is divided into the thinkers who live luxuriously above ground, but have no practical skill, and the doers who live below ground and carry out all the hard work, and the journey one man makes from above ground to below. The producers are currently in talks with several 'name' directors.
Now, initially this seems like complete sacrilege, with Metropolis being one of the most influential movies of all time, informing everything from Frankenstein to The Matrix. Like remaking, oooh, maybe Halloween (damn you, Rob Zombie). But don't forget that this film was the equivalent blockbuster of its day, costing a record amount for a silent movie.
What it needs is a sympathetic director who can respect what Lang did and not retool the story to fit in giant gun fights and an army of evil lady robots who kill with sex and shiny nipple darts. With the right director – maybe Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, Steven Spielberg, or even Alex Proyas – this could be fantastic.
What do you think? Sterling opportunity or sacrilege?