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Oh No! Fritz Lang's Metropolis Being Remade?!

December 10, 2007
Source: Variety
by Alex Billington

Metropolis

First it was the sci-fi classic, The Day the Earth Stood Still, now it is the original sci-fi movie, Metropolis, that's getting an entirely unnecessary remake. German producer Thomas Schuehly (The Triumph of Love, Alexander) has acquired the remake rights to Fritz Lang's Metropolis and is looking to make an "updated version." They're currently in negotiations with a number of "top directors", but nothing besides that the rights were picked up is known about this remake.

For those that don't know, Metropolis is a silent movie first released in 1927 directed by legendary German filmmaker Fritz Lang. It was the first sci-fi movie ever made and has inspired almost every single sci-fi movie to follow, including Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, Gattaca and The Matrix. It's considered one of the most expensive films for its time, and is set in 2026 in a massive city-state characterized by its monumental skyscrapers and art-deco architecture. The film depicts the class struggle between the wealthy society of planners and thinkers, who live in luxury high above the Earth, and the workers, who live underground, toiling to sustain the lives of the privileged. The plot follows a man who meets a woman and comes to support the cause of the workers, and later his father makes a robot duplicate of the woman as to help disrupt their plans to unite the societies.

The fact that this is even being remade to begin with is a problem, but then you add in Thomas Schuehly, who produced one of the biggest filmmaking disasters in recent Hollywood history, Alexander, and we've really got a travesty on our hands! The only good side of this whole thing is what Schuehly had to say about the film, and how prevalent its values still are today.

"With the overwhelming role technology plays in our daily lives, the growing gap between rich and poor, including the gradual elimination of the middle class, the story of 'Metropolis' is a frightening reflection of our society that takes place in an all too possible not too distant future."

Even to me, Metropolis is too much of a scared classic to be remade. Much of what makes it so incredible and timeless is that it was created in 1927 and the production values at that time. It's such a phenomenal movie and it's quite a sad story to see it being remade. They don't remake Gone with the Wind or Wizard of Oz, so why remake all these sci-fi classics?

Metropolis

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Reader Feedback - 7 Comments »

1

Would SciFi's Tin Man count as a Wizard of Oz remake?

IHateChildren on Dec 10, 2007

2

I guess only sci fi affecionados like ourselves only hold these movies sacred, not producers. However, I'll reserve judgement on this one…with the right people it could be good.

Nathan on Dec 10, 2007

3

So what if they do re-makes? i myself dont really care if movies are re-made, it still doesnt change the impact the orginal has made. and if it means more people watch the original classic, the better for it.

Ramon on Dec 10, 2007

4

Not sure about this one. As much as I don't like remakes and as pointless as it would be to remake this, it could actually be good if in the right hands.

Zach D. on Dec 10, 2007

5

You have got to be kidding me, this movie was genius, I hope every director turns it down, and trash the producer for even thinking this.

AR on Dec 10, 2007

6

Metropolis is definitely *not* the first science fiction film ever made….great as it was.

Barbenfouillis on Dec 11, 2007

7

the first sci fi film is probably Voyage to the Moon.

Johnny Boy on Jun 9, 2008

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