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Another Remake: Colossus: The Forbin Project

by Alex Billington
April 19, 2007
Source: Variety

It seems like every day we bring you news of another remake that Hollywood has decided to tear apart and modernize. And you've got imagine that only about 1 out of all of those every year turn out somewhat good. This time it's a 1970 sci-fi saga called Colossus: The Forbin Project that is getting remade, but on the good side, it looks like Ron Howard may be the one directing.

I'm not at all familiar with the original film, which is apparently based on a book by D.F. Jones about the idea of a government-built computer that becomes sentient and then takes control. This original sci-fi movie was the sort of launching grounds for future sci-fi blockbusters like Terminator. In this remake, however, they're incorporating much of the original as well as two subsequent "Colossus" novels written by the same author to create a much broader film. The screenwriter is Jason Rothenberg, who's fairly new to screenwriting.

Let's hope Universal and Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer can pull this off without looking like another Terminator rip off, despite coincidentally having an original made before Terminator. That's how Hollywood works for you!

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http://FeoAmante.com Kelly Parks

I'm not saying this is definitely going to suck, but I don't see how they can avoid sucking the cosmic big one here. The original movie is an excellent 70's sci-fi flick (review here: http://www.feoamante.com/Movies/ABC/colossus.html) based on a so-so novel. The other D.F. Jones novels were awful so incorporating them into a "wider story" doesn't fill me with confidence. Plus, this was very much a cold war movie. The idea was the U.S. gives control of its nukes to Colossus to show the Soviets that we can't attack first. But the cold war is long over so why would we give control of nukes to Colossus: The Remake? It's like the Chewbacca defense. It doesn't make sense.
http://www.feoamante.com/ Feo Amante

Ugh! I was such a fan of that movie that I read all three books. What utter crap! THE FALL OF COLOSSUS was worse than a MATRIX sequel. COLOSSUS AND THE CRAB was worse than a RESIDENT EVIL sequel. COLOSSUS THE FORBIN PROJECT, as a book, was okay, but nowhere near as good as the movie. Ron will really have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to make this movie relevant today: not to mention as powerful. Big fan of your website, though. FirstShowing.net is so far ahead of the pack you guys are about to lap the competition!
John Kolen

Maybe the best thing about this project will be to get Universal to release a decent DVD of the original. Just say no to pan and scan!
JJ

Yeah, it's a shame they can't just leave these movies alone.. okay, yeah, obviously it could be updated technologically...but that is part of the charm when watching these old movies. And in a way, they are almost creepier for me to watch now. Why can't Hollywood try anything NEW instead of always remakes, remakes, remakes...