I’ll admit, as a fan of Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Pusher trilogy, I didn’t even know this was coming. And it’s my job to know these things. Maybe my brain subconsciously shut out everything about this project, you know, just to keep me happy and blissfully unaware of its existence. But so much for that, as with the release of the trailer and poster, it’s all starting to sink in.
For those unaware, before Refn hit it big stateside last year with his well received film Drive, he made a trilogy of films under the title Pusher, starting in 1996. With the upcoming remake, he’s going back to the beginning, but only as a producer.
The remake is directed by Spanish filmmaker Luis Prieto. More interesting is the fact that the original film’s star Zlatko Buric is returning to play the lead once again.
The plot is as follows:
As edgy and explosive as Nicolas Winding Refn’s 1996 cult classic, this English language remake tells the story of a week in the life of FRANK, a big time drug pusher in London. Frank’s life is a fun-filled rollercoaster of a ride that soon spins out of control. Friendships start to vanish, there is no longer room for love within his life, and violence takes over. Danger and chaos are all around and he becomes a man trapped in his own world. Eventually Frank is left with no one to turn to and nowhere to go, becoming a man paralysed with the fear of knowing there is no way of preventing his inevitable fate. Fast-paced, visually striking, witty and with some of acting’s finest talents, Pusher will have you gripped from beginning to end.
It’s unclear if this film will lead to a remake of its two sequels. But if so, I hope Refn will stay on as executive producer, as it’s the only thing easing my worries about the remake.
Pusher will drop on VOD and iTunes on September 28th, and then hit theaters on October 26th.