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Zak Penn is working on a screenplay for a new version of the classic World War II film The Dirty Dozen. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out – It’s the story of a tough Army officer who has been tasked with recruiting ex-military criminals for a suicide mission deep into Nazi territory. The film starred a man’s man list of actors from the 60’s: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown & George Kennedy. It also had some not so macho but awesome supporting actors like Telly Savalas, John Cassavettes and Donald Sutherland.

The original is one of those movies that I like to watch at least once a year and I really dread a remake of this one. It falls outside my list of rules for movies that are ok to revisit. Well known, beloved classics should remain off the table when remake possibilities are raised. If you must do a remake of an older movie, pick a film that was not that great to begin with (the original Ocean’s 11, for example), or a movie that is dated due to pacing or other reasons (The Thomas Crown Affair). Both of those films were ripe for remaking and both of them turned out very well and in my opinion far superior to the original versions.

I dread to think of the cast of actors that they might populate a remake of The Dirty Dozen with… Heck, in this politically correct world I could even see them adding a woman to the group!

I really hope this one goes into Development Hell.

Source: Cinematical