It’s being reported that Will Smith is getting set to tackle a modern day remake of Sam Peckinpah’s 1969 classic THE WILD BUNCH. Word on the street is that Will Smith will take on a lead role, as well as possibly producing. The original film took an all star cast and created one of the most violent but beautifully constructed examples of the western genre. The original placed a band of outlaws in 1913, a time when the wild west was becoming tame and the world was moving forward.
A remake has been in the works for quite some time. Most recently, Tony Scott was in talks to direct, but after his tragic death the property went back to the drawing board. Screenwriters linked to the project in the past include David Ayer and Brian Helgeland, but with Will Smith now aboard, Warner Bros. will be looking to hire writers and directors from scratch.
The Will Smith remake would see Smith lead a group of DEA agents into battle against a Mexican drug cartel. THE WILD BUNCH is one of the films that opened up my eyes to the brilliance of westerns. Peckinpah managed to balance violence and action with suitably humane characters. This remake will certainly deserve a chance, and at least it will offer something completely different from its source material. Hopefully Smith will retool his theme tune to his last western, WILD WILD WEST, for a funkadelic soundtrack.
Source: The Wrap
