As you may or may not know, director Rod Lurie is remaking the controversial and uncomfortable Sam Peckinpah joint Straw Dogs. The original film, which centered around rape, harassment and the inferiority complex of Dustin Hoffman’s character David Sumner, is a violent and off-kilter piece of work.
While it’s unlikely the remake will capture the gusto of the original, it has gained some names in the past week: James Woods of Videodrome fame along with Prison Break’s Dominic Purcell and Willa Holland have joined the cast in unspecified roles. It’s likely that the first two names are antagonists, possibly with James Woods as the main foe, as he seems to carry the gravitas necessary.
The film already has a strike against it besides the fact that it’s an unnecessary remake: James Marsden, dethroned by Hugh Jackman in the X-Men series and quickly disposed of in The Last Stand, is filling Dustin Hoffman’s shoes, and I don’t believe he carries the same sort of demure energy and bottled-up tension required for the role. However, the whole film may be entirely different than the original, so I withhold judgement.
The remake will be released on a date to be announced next year.
