A couple of weeks ago, we posted that director David Ayer was being eyed to write and direct a remake of the 1967 classic The Dirty Dozen for Warner Bros.
Well, it definitely sounds like those talks with Ayer are in the final stages, as the director has offered some details into what he has planned for the upcoming remake.
He recently spoke with Collider on the subject and said:
“I think it’s just an opportunity for a great ensemble action franchise. I’ll have a really solid lead character, and I see it in the vein of the Mission: Impossible movies, or the Fast and Furious franchise, for which I wrote the first one. It’s like anything, you build an amazing family of characters, and then you watch them bounce off of each other and drive each other crazy.”
I didn’t even know Ayer co-wrote the first Fast and Furious. There’s my daily dose of movie history.
But Ayer is on to something in that quote. Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious both have stellar casts that play well-developed and fan-pleasing characters. Ethan Hunt and Dominic Toretto have won their ways into our hearts, and we are there opening weekend to see them get out of some crazy hijinks.
The Dirty Dozen remake will also move the setting from World War II to the present day. Ayer spoke on his decision to do that:
“For me, World War II is the Holy War. To do a more fun, comedic version of that war, I don’t think I could pull that off. But absolutely, I can do that present day, and have that fun and anarchy and wildness, and have modern characters with incredible diversity and real voices.”
Ayer once referred to Suicide Squad as The Dirty Dozen with supervillains. I guess he now has a chance to direct a version of that story that he’ll be proud to have left his stamp on.
However, Hollywood is a much different place than the 1960s and I wonder if a Dirty Dozen remake has a chance of standing out.
Suicide Squad. 6 Underground. Fast and Furious. These are all current franchises featuring (mostly reformed) criminals doing impossible tasks. They all clearly pull some inspiration from the 1967 classic. Ayer will have to reinvent the wheel if he’s hoping to have The Dirty Dozen become something unique. And especially if he wants it to spawn a franchise.
Do you think the world needs a Dirty Dozen franchise? Maybe we’ll end up with a dirty dozen films?
