Though it still has some way to go to win over those who consider Park Chan-wook's film the final word on the story, Spike Lee’s bold attempt to craft a new, Americanised version of revenge mystery Oldboy is making great strides in terms of tone and imagery. The red band trailer is now online and is below, although those coming to the story completely fresh are advised to beware spoilers.
While the promo shows that Lee’s film makes some changes, there is also a lot here that will feel familiar to fans of the original. Josh Brolin plays Joe Doucett, an advertising executive mysteriously imprisoned for 20 years.
Upon his release, he’s set the challenge of figuring out why he was kept locked away for two decades, and, almost as importantly, why he’s been set free. Joe also has family on his mind, not least the safety of his daughter.
Lee certainly seems to have cooked up a stylish, moody film here – the big challenge will be in standing up to Chan-wook’s version. With Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, Michael Imperioli, Sharlto Copley and Lance Reddick in the cast, Oldboy will be out on December 6.