Remake of "Das Boot"??!!

[tom dougherty]

Apparently there is a plan to remake the 1980's classic U-boat film, "Das Boot".

See: https://www.theguardian.com/film/201...fgang-peterson

Honestly, there is absolutely no reason to do this. The original was stunning and the interior boat sets and effects were superb. But the current trend in Hollywood seems to be to mine the past successes via reboots rather than create new film stories. (See, e.g. "Jurassic World" ). Meanwhile, "Shadow Divers" the film appears stuck in development hell. I'd much rather see the effort and money spent on that story than redoing "Das Boot".

[southern or]

The trend isn't that new sadly. When I was in school I had to import a copy of 'Night Watch' because a US studio had bought the distribution rights and was sitting on them while they decided to make an American version or not. Remaking 'Das Boot' would be like remaking 'Battleship Potemkin' or 'Nosferatu.' They got it right the first time. Fun fact, during the storm scene when the guy goes overboard, that wasn't scripted and he actually did get hurt.

[JWLaRue]

It's interesting that it's the Bavaria Studios that has elected to re-make this movie as they're the ones who did it originally. I wonder if they can refrain from the Hollywood penchant to add current-world problems and/or PC crap. (Think The Day the Earth Stood Still)

-Jeff

[Larry Kuntz]

They really need to leave that classic movie alone IMO. I got to see the original here on campus at the U of R and it was in German and it was great. You really did not need to understand the language as the scenes spoke for themselves. My all-time favorite move.

[bigdave]

The original Day the earth stood still was one of the best movies ever made.
The remake was a turd!
I bet every guy our age knows by heart what to say to Gort.
Come on Jeff. You know you want to. Lol. BD.

[tom dougherty]

The original Day the earth stood still was one of the best movies ever made.
The remake was a turd!
I bet every guy our age knows by heart what to say to Gort.

Turd??? Dave, you are too kind.

I could not believe they actually thought they could do a better job than the original "Das Boot". In addition to the superb acting, they rebuilt an interior of a Type VII on a gimbal system so it could bank and tilt. When they were done, they had WWII U-boat veterans go through and inspect the interior, and give them corrections to be made. Then they spent weeks training the actors on procedures.

I work with computers everyday in analyzing my scientific data. They are wonderful. But I think the now excellent CGI programs have made it very tempting for studios to think that an enhanced remake with CGI is enough, and they can be lazy about other aspects like the story and character development. Impressive CGI in Jurassic World, but the story itself gets a C- as opposed to the original's A grade.

And speaking of the original, one of the great quotes of Jeff Goldblum's character (Dr. Ian Malcolm) could well be applied to the current generation of CGI enthralled movie executives and directors:

"I'll tell you the problem with the scientific power that you're using here, it didn't require any discipline to attain it. You read what others had done and you took the next step. You didn't earn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast as you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented it, and packaged it, and slapped it on a plastic lunchbox.."

Perhaps it would be better if we don't say those words to Gort (the ORIGINAL Gort) and he goes on a rampage and melts down the studio planning the Das Boot remake before they get started...

[PaulC]

Say it ain't so.

There is hope in the fact that although studios plan a lot of movies they don't actually make a lot of movies. There is still a good chance this will never come to fruition. Disney's "20K" remake for example. Especially given the budget expense of the first one.

With that being said, I wouldn't mind a little CGI cleanup of the original blue-screen shots...and the tanker fire...

[tom dougherty]

With that being said, I wouldn't mind a little CGI cleanup of the original blue-screen shots...and the tanker fire...

Paul, I assume you mean what is termed "remastering" of the original? I too am fine with a little digital tweaking of existing images to remove these kinds of technical limitations of the original. But total remake…NO!!

The Kapitanleutnant will always be played by Jurgen Prochnow to my mind…

[salmon]

When I think of remastering, I think of Star Wars (something I did not like). I liked the original, even if it was less than ideal. While I would love another great sub movie like Das Boot, I am in agreement, I fear what politically correct message felt needed to be made or what artistic license the director would have to include to make it his flavor. I do not understand why all the remakes are being done, is there a shortage of creative stories?

[PaulC]

Tom, yes, a remastering. Not a George Lucas extreme makeover ala Star Wars but tweaks. I agree, Prochnow will always be the man.

Salmon, totally agree on Star Wars. It totally ruined the "reality" of the original theatrical version with all the fake animals, etc. The eye knows.

The remakes are more of an economic safety net. With production costs so high, execs can't afford to gamble on new, unproven stories and so reuse material that has been proven successful in the past. That's why we're riding the comic book wave now. Everyone wants Avengers money.

[southern or]

Remakes are a quick buck because very little needs to be done in terms of preproduction. The Star Wars remaster was a way to make a quick dollar. A pitch for a new movie idea is getting beyond hard to sell now and even when one gets accepted most studios sit on the projects and refuse to make them. I know a few scripts (some I worked on) that were sold and have yet to be made. As for CG, it's cheaper and easier then setting up a real functional set. When I was a DP I specialized in effects lighting. 40% of my work was lighting for Green and Blue screens.

[jefftytoo]

Ahem. The submarine movie which is still crying to be made, which NEEDS to be made, remains the best one I've ever read (but obviously not yet seen). You may remember it ran in accurate Hollywood script format as a multi-part series in the SCR. Check your back issues for a nifty little number called...wait for it..."Mush the Magnificent". (I'm at work at the moment and not near my shelf of SCR's or I'd offer the appropriate string of issue numbers right here and now.)

JeffP

P.S. No, I'm not bias or anything.

[bigdave]

Bias!
You Jeff!
Never!

[tom dougherty]

Hey, let's make a list! Submarine Movies that could/should be made.

OK, we have one nomination in "Mush the Magnificent"
Anyone read any of Larry Bond's Jerry Mitchell books? At least two of them would make great movie material (if adapted correctly, that is): "Cold Choices" and "Shattered Trident".
And then there is the perennially stalled "Shadow Divers" film. In Development Hell.
Also, a good movie could be made from the new, semi-fictional (based on the exploits of the latter day Halibut Spec Ops) book "Operation Ivy Bells".
For WWII submarine films, one could adapt Harry Homewoods' "Silent Sea" and "Final Harbor". These could be adapted into excellent films if you first follow this simple steps: First, find the screen writer who adapted Ned Beach's "Run Silent, Run Deep". Second, if he is still alive, do not allow him anywhere near this project. Ever. You are authorized to use deadly force to keep him away.

And, if any producers want to do a 10 hour mini series, might I suggest adapting "Red Storm Rising"? Submarine action and more.
Other suggestions? Come on, we need to get their minds off of messing with "Das Boot"!

[PaulC]

I'd say "Run Silent, Run Deep" could use a remake. Really a right-make.

I've often thought Grider's "War Fish" would be a great 10 hr mini series project. "Band of Brothers" in submarines. Grider's book covered the entirety of the submarine war and many of its major players. Great opportunity to focus on different aspects of the sub war for an episode while following Grider's rise through the ranks to his own command.