Here comes the Grim Reaper.
MGM just unloaded the first trailer for their remake of Death Wish, which was directed by none other than Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever, Green Inferno). In the film, Bruce Willis plays Paul Kersey, a family man who becomes a vigilante after his wife (Elizabeth Shue) and daughter (Camila Morrone) are the victims of a violent home invasion. I like that the trailer has a light-hearted edge to it selling fun more than violence, although you can tell Roth’s horror background will shine through when it’s released in theaters on November 22 by Annapurna Pictures.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of Chicago violence when it is rushed into his ER – until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts his family’s assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media’s attention, the city wonders if this deadly vigilante is a guardian angel or a grim reaper.”
“We wanted to bring back that great, classic Bruce Willis we all know and love and just do a fun, badass update of a revered classic,” Roth told Yahoo! yesterday. “I wanted to bring Bruce back to that Fifth Element, Unbreakable, Die Hard glory and have him craft another iconic performance, and I really think he did it. I mean I really think this can be his Taken. The fun is watching him go crazy and watching someone slowly move the moral goal post.”
“What’s interesting about Death Wish is it’s not a CIA guy who’s coming out of retirement, you know, he’s not John Wick, he’s not a professional assassin,” Roth said. “He’s a normal guy, he’s a surgeon, he’s a dad, he’s never picked up a gun in his life.” This Paul Kersey learns how to handle steel by watching YouTube videos and at one point almost gets merked by his own ricocheted bullet.
“And with each kill as he gets closer to finding the people that did this to his family, he gains a new skill. He gets better and better and better. So by the end of the film, he’s really much closer to John McClane… The very things that make him a good surgeon are what eventually make him a great killer.”
