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WTF? MGM's Red Dawn Remake May Be Delayed Indefinitely

by Alex Billington
June 10, 2010
Source: LA Times

Uh oh, this isn't good. An article popped up in the LA Times today (via SlashFilm) containing some bad (or potentially good) news: MGM's remake of Red Dawn has been delayed. Yes, I'm sure there are those of you who will rejoice over news that another remake of an 80's movie being shelved, but I actually wanted to see this movie, it had the potential to be pretty badass (at least from what I heard about it). Especially because some of the controversy surrounding the movie now involves the decision to make the Chinese the bad guys in this version. As in, the Chinese invade America and we have to fight back. Doesn't make everyone happy.

Half of the Times article is about a recent attack on the movie from a conservative blogger, but it eventually gets to the bad news. MGM was originally set to release this on November 24th, but as we know, MGM is bankrupt, doesn't have a new financier yet, and is putting everything they've got (likes James Bond and The Hobbit) on hold. Well, that means the release of this movie is on hold, too. Although it was shot in Detroit last year by first-time director & former stunt coordinator Dan Bradley for a budget of around $42 million, Times says this will stay in the can "for quite a while, at least until someone buys MGM" or they get money.

As for the controversial plot, the story in this does involve the Chinese invading America. A group of rag tag high school kids, played this time by Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Josh Peck, Adrianne Palicki and Isabel Lucas, band together and eventually fight back. We featured some photos from the set last year and it looked pretty impressive. Plus, I had heard that they were bringing in quite a large amount of firepower and blowing up a lot of big stuff, which is always good. Although I love the original Red Dawn (Wolverines!), I feel like an updated, modern remake could be pretty badass, which is why I was honestly excited to see this.

So for now, Red Dawn is delayed. But anyone could step in, pay some money, and get the release rights for the movie. We're not sure when that might happen and we're not sure when MGM will get money. Until we hear more, stay tuned right here. And check out this early poster for the remake that LA Times posted, too.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

Daniel Felts

I wanted to see this too.
travis

I saw them filming in Grand Ledge MI. That's sad, because it looked cool.
DiR3cT

Well this is good news for Tomorrow When The War Began!
Xerxex

sad...it will happen at some point though.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

Maybe they didn't want to insult any of the companies they use to make all their merchandise. Then they might have to use American ones. That would hurt at the bank, 3 times as slow and 4 times more expensive.
Jimmy Love

This movie doesn't need a remake the original is great as is
Traveler

I agree Alex, I'm no fan of remakes but this did look like it could be awesome and I love that they changed the enemy to China. Bummer.
Linkfx

Not an official poster for the movie that was fan made.
http://www.twitter.com/thatpj PJ

Buzz Killington
Singular

Well I passed this tidbit of info weeks ago to Aint-it-Cool news but they seemed to think it wasn't news worthy. The fact is the hold up in the MGM auction and the delays in James Bond and The Hobbit are a RESULT of Red Dawn. What they are not telling you is every potential buyer of MGM knows that the release of Red Dawn will probably destroy MGM and whoever buys it. Why? China of course. Not to get the racists' undies in a bunch but it's not what your trigger happy brains think and this was purely a Hollywood business decision. All you hear of is piracy in China. Regardless, Avatar made $190 million USD in the China box office alone. China has become the 2nd largest movie market for Hollywood blockbusters in the world and will eventually tie and surpass the largest market which is North America. Every studio sees a near future where a major part of their profits will come from China. We saw earlier this year how easily China discarded the behemoth, Google. Google's stock has been falling ever since. Now what studio is daring enough to release Red Dawn when all their movies in the future will be banned in China because of Red Dawn? No one is going to buy MGM under those conditions thus why all these movies are on hold and why Red Dawn, they say, is "delayed." The fact is Red Dawn will probably never see the light of dawn.
Singular

BTW, why believe that LATimes blog? This movie was canned by Hollywood liberals who love the Dalai Lama? Doesn't make sense at all.
Loser

They will probably release it after Thor comes out riding of the success of Chris Hemsworth new star status
http://www.themoviescene.co.uk Andy

As with others I liked the original and hated the idea of a remake but have slowly warmed to the idea and was sort of looking forward to it's release. Hopefully it doesn't end up being permanently canned due to the Chinese controversy.
AC

too bad, i was looking forward to this. we should start a fundraiser and make it ourselves!
Kevin

I don't see why people say it is racist or anti-china. Its anti-communist, just like the original. I was really excited to see this so I hope it does get released sometime.
talkinmonkey

singular seems to be overlooking the fact that china only imports 20 foreign films per year, and that 'red dawn' was never going to be one of them anyway. he also neglects to mention that mgm's other films-in-the-works are all experiencing their own delays/problems: bond 23 is on hold, the hobbit is looking for a new director, zookeeper's distribution has been handed to sony, cabin in the woods has been pushed twice now. so, business decision, yes. political business decision? not quite. this is about money--money to finish the film, money to market the film, money to distribute the film--and mgm doesn't have it right now. isn't it strange that we've yet to see any key art or trailers, or even a teaser, for a movie that's supposed to be out in a few months? the notions that a) a film studio could be brought down by a $40M b-grade action movie, b) said movie would somehow affect the sale of said studio--despite studio's full and/or partial ownership of franchises worth billions, or c) said movie would register nearly enough to cause permanent, or even long-term damage to chinese relations, are all fun to speculate about, sure. but it's just not reality.
Singular

talkinmonkey, there was an article in the Financial Times I believe May 10 that talked about it. Who said anything about Red Dawn has to be one of the 20? If China bans all MGM movies and the movies from what other studio that may buy it, guess what, no James Bond or The Hobbit or whatever shown in Chinese theaters. When China has become your 2nd largest market for what ever movie that gets one of those 20 slots (in the future there will be more), you're going to think about that. And they easily killed your $40M B movie, didn't they?
Phil

Movie studios have no problem showing Germans as the bad guys in many, many action movies. Why are Chinese off limits to being the bad guys? Chinese Communists mass murdered 50-80 million people, the largest mass genocide in human history. Did everyone just forget about this genocide? This attack on Red Dawn is Chinese supremacists at work.
Clover

Another George W. Bush victum.
Jason

Its a shame that China tells us what movies we can release now. TOTALLY LAME!!!! I guess the communists have won. This film should not be delayed.. WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!
Tony

One word "Bilderberg". There is probably a lot of controversy that this movie is going to make and the bigger people who know this has probably caused it to be shelved due to the issue globally. I don't know for sure...simply speculating...I maybe wrong...
D

Another remake that didn't deserve remaking. There's a simple reason why the original Red Dawn made some sense, although it was still pretty outlandish, the Cold War was actually STILL happening. It's amazing to me how trapped Hollywood is in this mindset and how it can't seem to move past the fact that it's been over for almost 20 years now. Yeah I know it's a only movie, but seriously. Remakes are overdone and remakes like these don't even fit in today's world. You might as well call this "science-fiction" with how ridiculous the plot is because at this point War of Worlds looks more feasible. And Phil...Regarding the Germans being shown as "bad guys" in many many movies, Hollywood has had no problem with films portraying the same German soldiers in a "good light" as well (i.e. Das Boot, All Quiet on the Western Front, etc.). However, when Clint Eastwood released "Letters from Iwo Jima" (one of the only movies in existence to portray Japanese soldiers as "regular people") many reviewers complained that the portrayal of the Japanese soldiers was inaccurate because "they were all evil." Yeah, no double standards there...
Trademark

@D Both of those movies(Das Boot, Alls Quiet) are foreign releases and therefore not Hollywood releases, I'm tryn to think of any American movies with "good" German soldiers, but I got nothing man.
Trademark

O I guess "All Quiet On The Western Front" is American, my bad
Leon

I will curse and demonize MGM and all the EVIL americans everyday from now on until they all disappear, and I mean it. I just can't believe there are actually people so evil like these americans living on earth. They treated the black people like dog shits and they demonize everyone who's nice to them while they are they are the true demons. Anyway, I will curse them every night before I go to bed.
- Deadreds
  
  Douglas MacArthur was right
gayass chines

I will curse and demonize MGM and all the EVIL americans everyday from now on until they all disappear, and I mean it. I just can't believe there are actually people so evil like these americans living on earth. They treated the black people like dog shits and they demonize everyone who's nice to them while they are they are the true demons. Anyway, I will curse them every night before I go to bed. Leon on Jul 12, 2010 well... turns out your just retarded. you want true demons how about how the chines killed millions to ethnicly clens thier country or ar you to stupid to realize that? or how about the gangs in mexico killing innocent ppl just so they cab make money and drugs? or how about the terrorists that will kill women with stones just for looking at another man? you are a FOOL and havent a clue of what you say. if you live in america get the fuck out and shut your mouth before i shut it with my american gun. oh and demons, come now use your brain you think an entire country can be demons your a crack head fool.
gayass chines

BTW it is science fiction use your brains ppl... all you haters make me sick go to hell er i mean china
A.S.

I hope this movie does not make it out. While I liked the original Red Dawn, as it portayed an actual enemy of the U.S. at that time. Russia and the U.S. were in a cold war, so portraying Russia as the bad guy made sense. But why would we, today, want to portray China as an enemy. Are we at war or a threat to be at war with China? NO. While there may be some issues with China's government, we aren't at war or enemies. But gee, have been at war in the middle-east, so WHY are we portaying China as the bad guy? I never saw such stupidity coming out from Hollywood which can ruin the relations between two nations. I like to give my personal appologies to the people of China that some people in the U.S. are just plain idiots and forgive us if this movie actually makes it to the theaters, but I will not see it.
- Deadreds
  
  we are not at war with china, but they have been at war with us since 1950. try learning some history.
Usmc

You all have got to be joking me.....its a freaking movie.....movies don't ruin international relations ok.....did the jamaicans get pissed when sanka tipped over in the bobsled....no. I'm sure this is purely a funding issue nothing more. As for the rest of you....GET A LIFE AND STOP WITH THE DOOMS DAY THEORIES!!!