Exclusive: Dean Israelite on why he's remaking WarGames, and how he's approaching it.
NewsOne of the many remakes working its way through the Hollywood system is a new take on WarGames, John Badham's mix of tic-tac-toe, Matthew Broderick's hacker, and the threat of nuclear warfare.
It still holds up really rather well too, but that hasn't slowed down plans for a new take on the story. The remake, then, is currently in the hands of Project Almanac director Dean Israelite, and he's giving us an update on the project.
He confirmed that it's the film he's developing that "I hope will go next," adding that "we've been developing the script, and I think it's an exciting project. If there's ever a reason to remake a movie, it's WarGames. If there was ever a movie primed to say something new and bold and relevant for our time, it's WarGames. So that's why I see the potential in remaking the movie".
Israelite admitted that he was "always very sceptical of remakes, because the story's already been told," but added that "with this particular title, I feel it's primed to say something new."
Would it bear similarities to the style in which he shot Project Almanac, then? "No. It definitely won't be the found footage style, and it probably won't be as handheld. I haven't figured out fully the stylistic approach, but absolutely the film will have to feel immediate, intimate, energetic, and have a kind of teenage youthfulness to it."
"That will influence the energy of the photography, and I think it will have to feel unflinchingly real, because we're going to be dealing with the technology we interact with every day, and the consequences of that, and so I think that world is going to have to feel completely real for it to feel relevant to everyone in the audience."
As we hear more on the new WarGames, we'll keep you posted. Our full interview with Dean Israelite can be found here.
