Remember that Death Wish remake that’s been kicking around MGM/Paramount for a while now? Well, it’s finally got a director attached, as Deadline reports that Eli Roth will take the helm, with Bruce Willis still set to star in the role of reluctant vigilante Paul Kersey, which was made famous by Charles Bronson.
For those unfamiliar with the 1974 flick, it starred the aforementioned Bronson as an architect who “becomes a one-man vigilante squad after his wife is murdered by street punks, leading him to go out and kills would-be muggers on the mean streets after dark.” The script for the remake was originally written by Joe Carnahan, but has since had work done on it by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
If you recall, Big Bad Wolves directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado were once attached to helm the film, but ended up dropping out due to changes in the script. Now, Roth is on board to take over and with a director and star all set, you can bet that the film will head into production soon.
Seeing as the original Death Wish was a hit back in the day, the producers are obviously hoping for similar success here, with the studios said to be envisioning the remake as a franchise launcher. That makes sense, and Willis is more than capable of carrying a film like this. Now, with Roth behind the camera, it’s easy to see the duo churning out a dark, gritty vigilante tale that, while not exactly uncommon to see in Hollywood, could make for an exciting new series of movies if executed properly.
Tell us, are you happy to see Eli Roth stepping in to direct the Death Wish remake? Or did you have someone else in mind? Sound off below and let us know.