While promoting Death at a Funeral, comedian Chris Rock revealed that he will be penning High and Low, a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 detective thriller.
Although the project was originally commissioned by Martin Scorsese in 1999, the remake is now being helmed by Mike Nichols, whose previous films include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Graduate, and Charlie Wilson’s War.
The plot synopsis for the original reads (from IMDB):
At a crucial point in his business life, executive Gondo learns that his son has been kidnapped and that the ransom demanded is near the amount Gondo has raised for a critical business deal. Gondo is prepared to pay the ransom – that is, until he learns that the kidnappers have mistakenly abducted not Gondo’s son, but the child of Gondo’s chauffeur. Now Gondo must decide whether the other man’s child is equally worth saving.
Rock replaces David Mamet in a very interesting twist in the development of this movie. I’m a little baffled, but maybe he’s been hiding an urge to really write a great screenplay. He has written before, but mostly comedies, naturally. Will Rock bring some comedic flair to this Japanese classic?
