MGM’s Red Dawn remake appears to actually be happening as Josh Peck and Adrianne Palicki have joined Chris Hemsworth in the film to be directed by first timer Dan Bradley.
The script was written by Carl Ellsworth and Jeremy Passmore whose work is limited although Ellsworth has recently co-written a couple of recent horror/thrillers including the awful The Last House on the Left remake and Disturbia. This remake is based on the John Milius-directed 1984 original, which was set during the dawn of World War III and followed a group of mid-western America teenagers as they band together to defend their town, and their country, from invading Soviet forces.
The remake will follow a similar plot thread telling the story of a group of teenagers who form an impromptu insurgency when their town is invaded by Chinese and Russian soldiers.
Peck — most recently seen in The Wackness — will play Matt Eckert, the hotheaded younger brother of Hemsworth’s Jed Eckert and star quarterback of their Spokane high school football team. Palicki will play Toni, a tough fighter the brothers encounter who develops romantic feelings for Jed, a Marine home on leave and the group’s unofficial leader.
The original film included quite the cast of names including Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Charlie Sheen, Lea Thompson and Jennifer Grey. I wouldn’t call it necessarily a hit (certainly not a critical one), although it did earn north of $38 million on a reported budget of only $4.2 million. I would say it is probably best remembered as the first movie in film history to be released with a PG-13 rating.
Personally, what I remember most is the deer blood drinking scene. If you don’t remember it I have conveniently attached it directly above. Bottoms up!
The remake is scheduled to hit theaters September 24, 2010.
