Movies
The ‘Flatliners’ Remake Trailer is DOA
Today isn’t a good day to die.
In Joel Schumacher’s 1990 cult Flatliners, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon and Julia Roberts, four Medical students experiment on “near death” experiences that involve past tragedies until the dark consequences begin to jeopardize their lives.
On September 29, 2017, Sony Pictures plays God once again with their own version of Flatliners, this time featuring Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton and Kiersey Clemons.
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev, the first trailer has been zapped to life, only it’s DOA. While the original film was dark, gritty and absolutely terrifying, this new version looks like it’s trying to be hip and cool and ends up landing somewhere between Limitless and “The OA”. The “modern take” looks anything but scary, not to mention the dialogue is beyond cringeworthy (“It’s like her brain’s been rewired!”). They may as well have used a somber rendition of Mötley Crüe’s “Kickstart My Heart”, which I’m sure was discussed. Frankly, I’m embarrassed for this movie.
If anything positive has come of this, it’s the ridiculously cool poster that we’ve shared below.
In Flatliners, five medical students, hoping to gain insight into the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring and dangerous experiment. By stopping their hearts for short periods of time, each triggers a near-death experience. As the investigation becomes more and more perilous, they are forced to confront the sins of their pasts, as well as contend with the paranormal consequences of trespassing to the other side.
One change is that there’s an additional student. Otherwise, the only real insight we have is that Ben Ripley’s screenplay is secretly a sequel. In fact, Kiefer Sutherland returns to his role from 27 years ago.
“I play a professor at the medical university,” Sutherland told Metro last July. “It is never stated but it will probably be very clearly understood that I’m the same character I was in the original ‘Flatliners’ but that I have changed my name and I’ve done some things to move on from the experiments that we were doing in the original film.”
Sutherland played Nelson Wright in the original film, a medical student who wanted to see what the afterlife held by allowing himself, and his partners, to be killed only to be resuscitated minutes afterward.
“I loved making the first film and when I was asked if I would be interested in taking part in this, it didn’t take more than a minute to say yes,” Sutherland excitedly told the site.
Ray (Diego Luna), Courtney (Ellen Page) and Marlo (Nina Dobrev) after Marlo’s flatline in Columbia Pictures’ FLATLINERS.
Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 psychological horror movie Possession is getting a remake from Smile writer/director Parker Finn, and Deadline reports that The Batman actor Paul Dano has joined the cast.
No word at this time on character details, though.
The original film starred Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill as a married couple in Cold War-era West Berlin whose relationship spirals into a supernatural nightmare. In Finn’s update, Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner will star as the turbulent couple in Finn’s Possession, and Adjani has officially given her blessing on Qualley’s casting.
Parker Finn is writing and directing the new take on Possession.
He’s also producing alongside Jonathan Fass via Bad Feeling, along with Roy Lee and Andrew Childs via Vertigo, and Robert Pattinson. Marc Bienstock is serving as exec producer.
Our own Brian Keiper celebrated Possession‘s 40th anniversary here on BD back in 2021, writing: “Few movies depict emotional turmoil as effectively and daringly as Andrzej Zulawksi’s Possession. It is a challenging and sometimes inscrutable film, both for the mind and the emotions. Zulawski struggles through a number of deep issues throughout the course of the film; issues that speak to some of humanity’s deepest pains and fears. In many ways it is about loss— loss of political ideals, loss of faith, and loss of innocence. But most of all, Possession is about the fear, pain, and anger that comes from the loss of a marriage.”
This will mark Dano’s first horror role. The actor previously appeared in sci-fi hits Looper and Okja.
Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill in Possession
You must be logged in to post a comment.