Director Joseph Ruben is set to helm the remake of Orson Welles’ 1946 noir thriller, THE STRANGER. In the original, a War Crimes Commission investigator (Edward G. Robinson) tracks down the Nazi who allegedly masterminded the Holocaust. The remake, however, completely overwrites the original premise — which may leave film fans wondering why the project is considered a “remake” at all. The reworked script, from newcomer Alanna Belak, revolves around a reformed serial killer posing as a small-town college professor — until his former partner-in-crime turns up, which could potentially blow his cover.
Best known for 90s films like MONEY TRAIN and SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, Ruben may not be the first director that comes to mind when envisioning a remake of an Orson Welles film but, arguably, a bigger question mark remains: Is this new project really a remake of the noir hit if all the principal characters and plot points are different?
Only time will tell if elements from Welles’ THE STRANGER ultimately find their way into Ruben’s remake.
Source: Collider
