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Rumor: DiCaprio & Maguire Are Remaking The Third Man?

by Alex Billington
October 23, 2009

Another rumor to chew over this fine Friday afternoon. CHUD is reporting that Canal+ from France is gearing up to remake Carol Reed's 1949 classic The Third Man that starred Orson Welles and Bernard Lee. Apparently none other than Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are already cast and helping develop the project. While they say it doesn't have a director yet, the screenplay is being written by Steven Knight, of Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises. Sounds like a lot of great talent, but of course, is a remake of The Third Man even necessary or desired? It's a true noir classic that really can't be topped.

The Third Man is a noir mystery set in Austria's capital city Vienna, devastated and recovering from the World War II. An American pulp writer arrives in Vienna only to find that the friend who waited for him is killed under mysterious circumstances. The ensuing mystery entangles him in his friend's involvement in the black market, with the multinational police, and with his Czech girlfriend. Criterion released a Blu-Ray of The Third Man earlier this year. According to sources, the remake is just going out for bidding now and it always could fall through, though if it's at Canal+, it will probably get funding soon. We'll keep you updated!

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Alex

This needs to be stopped. This is one film that shouldn't be remade...
Matt S

Well, you're right, there is a lot of talent involved. I love the original, but this still might be kinda cool. (I'm not gonna lose it over them remaking one of the great classics in history, it's annoying, but whatever) I'm not generally a fan of remakes, but I know this can't damage the classic. I really enjoy thrillers with Dicaprio and like the writer, so this might be okay. I just hope for two things, one that they try to make it quite different from the original, and two that it gets more youngsters, like myself, to check out the original (because it's amazing, esspecially on Criterion!)
Dude

Good point Matt S. Even if it's just an OK remake, at least it will open the door to the original film for a lot of people!
SlashBeast

NO! Who cares if the "younger generations" can't get into older movies? Fuck them. You don't need to remake films like these.
tazz

personally im not a fan of remake but at least its not a 80s classic movie which we all know that Hollywood always fucking up 80s movie done this day of age for the dumb down generation.
The Hornet King

I love everyone involved in this project. But if the names involved aren't Carol Reed, Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Bernard Lee, and Anton Karas, then...why bother? Why don't they use the talent attached to make something original? There are SOOO many stories of international intrigue that could become great films on their own merit. Why piggyback on the shoulders of a classic, nay, a masterpiece? Why?
Stuart Mellor

no. this film is perfect. they will remake citizen kane next!
Rabican

No. You do not touch Orson Welles. They already raped Sleuth. Leave my classics be!
Matt S

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather them not touch this, I'm just trying to look at the bright side. Also, I for one, do care what the "younger audiences" are into (which, however out of touch I am with them, I still belong to their generation) because if more of us demanded a little quality from our films, our theaters wouldn't be as bombarded with shit, as they are now. Also, like I said, I don't think this remake does any real harm to the original film, it's not like they're colorizing "The Third Man" and having the DVD presented that way. We will always have that fantastic motion picture. I don't like it, but I'm not gonna get all hot and bothered over it anymore, either. @ tazz, the '80s was not a much smarter time than this day and age, my friend. Dumbing down most '80s films would probably result in a black hole. True it's the same with the vast majority made today, too.
mike

It might be good; but I have never really enjoyed Maguire's acting, and DiCaprio has never looked a day over 24 in his life; so I'm not expecting a knock out of a movie.
tazz

@#9 Matt S yes the 80s was not a much smarter movie but they was so much enjoyable compare with alot of crap we getting nowadays. imagine Hollywood go and do a remake of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" starring Zac Efron lol the backlash on that would be huge.
Kevin

A note to Hollywood: Tobey Maguire is a terrible actor, please stop casting him in movies. Thank you.
Dr. Gonzo

You don't need to remake films for the younger generation. Screw the pathetic younger audience. They should find some respect and watch the original. 'It might be good?' Get off the cocaine. If you support this film, the industry is dead and void of anything worthwhile. Nothing is sacred. This is so pathetic.
Alex

I still think tis a bad idea but for conversations sake who gets cast as who. I'm thinking DiCaprio as Holly Martins and Maguire as Harry Lime. Although Maguire's been a similar film (The Good German)-and that really didn't work...
scm1000

THIS CANNOT BE. THE THIRD MAN IS A PERFECT FILM, ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER MADE. ARE THEY GOING TO REMAKE CITIZEN KANE NEXT? IF THEY SERIOUSLY GO AHEAD WITH THIS, FILM LOVERS AND CRITICS EVERYWHERE WILL REVOLT.
scm1000

Oh, and Bernard Lee is rather a minor character in this. The protagonist is played by the great, under-appreciated Joseph Cotton, and Trevor Howard plays another prominent role. Orson Welles of course steals every scene he's in.
tir na nog

Leave it alone,Hollywood is jampacked with great scriptwritter's.Do something original.
Hattori Hanzo

The hidden beauty of remakes is that they show just how great the originals are.
beetle

If the classic is good enough it doesnt need a remake!! people should just watch the classic!!
Bilbo

Here's an acurate question.....why isn't anyone striving to make a noir thrill BETTER than the one their trying to remake??? I mean the whole point of film is to tell stories, new ones at that, remaking things every minute or so isn't doing that, its just retelling movies in another version.
Lando

I hear they bought up the rights to all the classic books too and that they are rebooting them so the YOUNGER GENERATION can get into them! CMON PEOPLE!!! if you really care about the YOUNGER GENERATION, ENLIGHTEN THEM!!!! DONT DUMB THEM DOWN or water shit down so they can get it!!!! this culture already bases its parameters around the lowest common denominator, we really dont need to constantly lower the bar!!!!
replicant

Will "Catcher in the Rye" be about a young sports scout making it big and landing his own reality show after he's busted using steroids? Will the bible be shorter finally and less yees and thees? The Third Man is amazing!! and part of its brilliance is in its black and white world..no more..and the setting? ahh...you know, no matter what, the original will always be there so its not like im terribly upset..I do hope that atleast the fans who appreciate the new version will hopefully check out the original as it is such a worthy movie!
d1rEct

#1 - No film deserves to be remade.
JP

Metropolis, Seven Samurai, now The Third Man ...
clippers350

Geez, soon they'll remake Gone with the wind with Zack Effron and that pale looking chick from twilight.