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MGM Planning a 'Mr. Mom' Remake, Another 'Poltergeist' and More

by Ethan Anderton
February 17, 2011
Source: Variety

Everyone was really pleased when MGM started getting back on its feet again for the November 2012 return of James Bond, but now the studio is really trying to get back in the swing of things, for better or worse. For it's big return, MGM is roaring and ready to get back to its abandoned remakes/reboots of Poltergeist and RoboCop (likely without once attached director Darren Aronofsky anymore). In addition, the studio is also interested in remaking the 1983 Michael Keaton led, John Hughes written comedy Mr. Mom and the 1980 music centric flick The Idolmaker. Believe it or not, I'm actually okay with every one of these remakes.

Variety says all of these projects are being buzzed around to agencies as priority projects, likely with the hopes of attracting some big name talent in front of and behind the camera. With RoboCop, Aronofsky was a promising talent to have in the director's chair but he has since moved on to the Wolverine sequel. Poltergeist is another project that has been in the works for a couple years and is now getting back on track. The trade refers to the film as a fourth Poltergeist, which in the literal sense is accurate, but also implies that the film may not exactly be a remake rather than a sequel/reboot.

As for the new remakes we hadn't heard of yet, The Idolmaker will be a new take on the Taylor Hackford directed 1982 story of a mercenary music promoter who takes on two boys with the intent of turning them into teen idols. Since I'm not all that familiar with the film, I can't get all bent out of shape about it, but there has to be someone out there who isn't please with this news right?

As for Mr. Mom, my initial thought was terror. The family comedy is close to my heart because my family named my childhood security blanket a "woobie" because that was what one of the children called it in the original 1983 film. If you haven't seen it, John Hughes wrote the script, so that should tell you just what kind of greatness we're dealing with here. The story follows a once working father who suddenly becomes a stay-at-home Dad while his wife works up the corporate ladder. While I wasn't all that thrilled about the remake, I started thinking about someone like Jason Segel or Paul Rudd in the role originated by Michael Keaton, and that sounds pretty damn good. But we'll find out down the road.

Oh, and finally, outside of the remake and reboot realm, MGM is also looking to bring the epic hero Hercules to the big screen. The project had been developed at Spylgass Entertainment previously, but with Jonathan Glickman taking over MGM, apparently the project has switched hands. The story would follow the mythical figure, having turned his back on the gods, becoming a mercenary and training a ruthless army. Sounds like another Clash of the Titans, and I think we all can agree we don't need that. Anyway, there's no doubt that MGM is really getting back in the movie business. Do you like the sound of these projects?

Filed under Development, Movie News

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