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Matt Reeves Updates Overture's Let the Right One In Remake

by Alex Billington
June 29, 2009
Source: LA Times

It's probably not a good idea to bring this up again, but it's going to happen, whether you want it to or not. Overture Films is remaking the brilliant Swedish horror film Let the Right One In and has brought on Cloverfield director Matt Reeves to helm the remake. This was all announced in September last year, but we haven't heard much about it since then. However, the LA Times now has an update from Reeves, and it doesn't sound so bad. First off, the title has been changed to just Let Me In and it's being set in Reagan-era Colorado, mainly to localize it for US audiences, while also keeping it set in a dark, snowy environment.

Reeves explains his experience with the original. Overture asked him to check it out. "I was just hooked," Reeves recalls. "I was so taken with the story and I had a very personal reaction. It reminded me a lot of my childhood, with the metaphor that the hard times of your pre-adolescent, early adolescent moment, that painful experience is a horror." So at least he understands the finer aspects of Tomas Alfredson's film, but will he will be able to translate that into an Americanized remake? Let me remind you that they're going back to John Ajvide Lindqvist's novel for this and won't be just redoing what Alfredson did in his film.

"There's definitely people who have a real bull's-eye on the film," Reeves said, "and I can understand because of peoples' love of the [original] film that there's this cynicism that I'll come in and trash it, when in fact I have nothing but respect for the film. I'm so drawn to it for personal and not mercenary reasons, my feeling about it is if I didn't feel a personal connection and feel it could be its own film, I wouldn't be doing it. I hope people give us a chance."

Reeves also adds that he's working with casting director Avy Kaufman - who previously found kids for The Sixth Sense and The Ice Storm - to find the young actors for this remake. Reeves "vows will not be aged-up to make the film more of a smoldering Twilight-style romance." Thank goodness for that! We don't know too much more about this, including who is even writing the script, beyond that Overture is now aiming for a fall 2010 theatrical release. That means they better start shooting by the end of this year or early next. We'll certainly keep you updated. And we'll definitely let you know once Reeves finds his Oskar and Eli.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

daniel

idk.... mixed feelings....
esophus

Why doesn't he just work on The Cloverfield prequel or sequel? I said this before and I will say it again...just because you can doesn't always mean you should. That being said this remake could work for the majority of Americans who never saw this film. Kind of like The Ring. I for one had no idea that it was a remake. MO Money Mo Money Mo Money!!!!! I should really stop bitchin it's not like Hollywood is listening to me. I'm sure Mr Alfredson is crying all the way to the bank. I must keep reminding myself it's a business. Same goes for artist like Hilary Duff and The Black Eyed Peas....it's a business. MUST....NOT....OVER...THINK...getting weak.
keicharones

The movie has already been made... doesn't need to be made again. Even if his version is better, it will still be just another remake. SOMETHING NEW.
Darrin

good luck screwing up your career. good luck to speilberg with old boy as well
DoomCanoe

remake of a 2008 movie!! give it some time to breathe LET IT BREATHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
real talk

#2 you are doing too much (DTM)
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

It won't be as good. Bit of a waste of energy. But it won't have subtitles, so that will be good for cinema viewers who can't be arsed to read.
http://myspace.com/erikthecoolkid erik

i agree with #1. i like matt reeves but this is also my 2nd favorite movie. : / as long as he has respect for the film and it is done in a good way im sure i will like it. i still think he needs to start working on some kind of cloverfield sequel or prequel though
cre2done

If i were a betting man, i'd say this version will omit a lot of the child violence of the film and book. Hollywood, and the US in general, doesn't accept children brandishing knives acting out murder fantasies, especially in a vaguely scholastic setting. So I'd think one of the major themes of the book/movie will be either skipped or side-stepped. Also the castration will not feature, primarily because it eludes to some vague sense of homosexuality. I'd look for both the explicit child violence (of the non-vampire sort) and the castration to be replaced with unnecessary back story. Lot's and lots of backstory.
http://www.myskoteket.se Tomb

I bet they gonna screw things up like making Eli a girl or something.
LINKFX

I really still hate this idea a lot.
wm

think is gonna get hacked to pieces by censors and lose the meaning entirely
nocsyn

i cant believe how fast they are planning to remake this film...this blows my mind the levy needs to break
Tether

There were a lot of elements of the book that didn't make it to the original film. If Hollywood doesn't get all kiddie glove on it, it should be a nice addition to the foreign version. There were a lot of scenes in the book that might get "hacked to pieces" as WM said but if they do it right it should be an atmospheric hair raiser. Alfredson's version was spectacular, but I'd be willing to see how a more literal translation of the book would do. I trust Reeves but agree with a lot of people here and would like to see him working on the Cloverfield sequel/prequel.
Gill

Honestly, remaking a 2008 movie? People have barely had time to see the original? I don't see the point, and I won't see the movie.
Gill

"Reeves also adds that he's working with casting director Avy Kaufman - who previously found kids for The Sixth Sense and The Ice Storm - to find the young actors for this remake." Sheesh, why don't they just remake "The Sixth Sense" while they're at it. At least that movie's ten years old by now
Tether

I think one of the reasons they are remaking a 2008 movie is because the original is from Sweden. The mainstream audiences here in America probably didn't know about the original, or probably wouldn't see it cause of the subtitles. If the subtitles turned anyone off, it's a crying shame cause the film really was that damn good. Another reason I think (know) they are remaking it is cause the studios know how good the original was and want to cash in on it. I won't fault Reeves for that, but it is a piss poor reason to remake a film.
Martin

I'm optimistic. As much as I like the swedish version, there were lots of moments from the novel they hadn't in the film. Real moneyshots. Most people think that the movie followed the less is more route, because the novel had less. That's not true, the novel was very dramatic, with lots of character work but there were some truly amazing vampire action set pieces, like the vampire flying of with the boy oscar after she killed those boys, and even when she killed them there was more action in the novel that the movie didn't show. And considring what the director did with cloverfield, i think he can do a great work with the material.
PJ H

IM SO ANGRY
JimD

This absolutely pisses me off. This was by far one of the best unique vampire related stories and now we are talking a crappy hollywood remake. WTF? Give the original the props it deserves.
http://www.akuko.com Steven

This was one of the most exciting and original horror in years. I loved the atmosphere, the cinematography, the acting, everything. Fucking yanks have a need for screwing up classics. And it was only released last year. Why bother!
AprilCoolsDay

I like these films where protagonists are Wangta. Gran Torino and Let the Right One In. I'm glad that Matt won't tone down the issue of marginalization. But still it's too early.
Justin

I loved the original And the original was original and moving. Nuff said. Doesn't need a remake.
dan

the original hasn't been out that long............WHY IS THIS BEING MADE? i know i won't be seeing this as i JUST WATHCED THE ORIGINAL WHEN IT CAME OUT NOT THAT LONG AGO!!!!!
Curtis G

This is horrible news. In no way will I support this movie. The Swedish version of "Let the Right One In" was a brilliant movie, one of my favorites. Boycott anyone?
http://film-book.com Film-Book dot Com

I wish he would just work on the Cloverfield prequel, sequel as well. The only good news is that he is going to the book (there was a lot of material left out and the story arch, especially at the beginning, is different) and not re-doing Let the Right One In: http://film-book.com/review-let-the-right-one-in/ Let the Right One in TRAILERS: http://film-book.com/let-the-right-one-in-trailers/
SlashBeast

It's a sad truth, but most people are never going to see the original. It's either because of availability, being a foreign-film or simply not enough mainstream buzz. Regardless, most movie-goers will never see the original Swedish film. That being said, I think it's WAY too early for a remake. The original came out in 2008! It's only been a year, give it time!
Voice of Reason

I HOPE THIS REMAKE FAILS. I am sick and tired of re-makes of fantastic movies. This is getting re-goddamn-diculous with all these re-boots and re-makes. Its RE-tarded. {RIGHT ON #25 (I'm actually really, super-pissed about this)}
Justin

And you know what's gonna be the worst?! If this remake is successful, there's gonna be thousands of "vampire hyped" preteens going crazy for this movie and how they say they're true fans... When they don't even know about the original....lame
Sam

As old as the idea of remaking great films has become, so are the complaints. And maybe the complaining about the complaining is getting old, but whatever. I don't really need a remake to one of the best horror films in decades, but we have to understand they are going to remake it regardless. At least Reeve's didn't disappoint me with Cloverfield, so there is hope. Remakes will continue to be made, lets just hope not all of them are terrible. It wont diminish the original, and all you hoping people would just watch that one clearly don't understand how adverse some are to subtitles. Sad and pathetic as they may be, it is the truth. Plus, being foreign and more "artsy" than other horror films probably means a lot of American's wouldn't have bothered with it in the first place. But now we just wait and see.
David Banner

How to stop remakes: dont sell the movie rights? Is it that simple?
SlashBeast

You want to stop Hollywood remaking films - Don't go see them.
brian

There is a problem with the swedish film and novel...Both feature a 200 year old 'girl', who is really a boy, who since 'shes' 200 years old is really a man! The movie may gloss over this, but the pedophilia elements in book, still persist in the movie. What was the reason for making Eli a castrated boy?Thats the novel element in this twist on the vampire tale.