It was reported recently that Mel Gibson is planning a remake of The Wild Bunch. Regular readers will know I’m big fan of director Sam Peckinpah, and I don’t really feel we need a remake of The Wild Bunch, but Gibson has produced at least one great film in Apocalypto (2006) and his personal life suggests someone who is as mad as a box of frogs – a bit like Sam Peckinpah. So I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt…
There are going to be inherent problems with the remake I think. Where would you find actors better than the original cast? William Holden, Robert Ryan, Ben Johnson and the great Warren Oates – these guys don’t really have contemporaries in modern cinema? Our actors are fit, healthy, cosseted by agents, fitness gurus and dietitians. The cast of The Wild Bunch look like 40 miles of rough road – and that isn’t down to make-up.
Then of course, reports suggest that Gibson is going to rewrite the screenplay – the original script by Walon Green and Peckinpah, is nasty, brutal, drunk on violence and anger. But it’s also subtle, and life affirming. I think, modern audiences would find the script too hard to follow in some ways, and while I’m sure Gibson would say he’s ‘updating’ the script and story for modern audiences, what I think will happen is that he’s actually going to ‘dumb it down’ – an awful phrase – but the modern cinema going audience isn’t as intelligent or as open, as it was in 1969 (or even 1979, 89, or 99).
So, we’ll probably get a less subtle, more action packed, less sad, less angry and less appealing remake of The Wild Bunch – but I hold out hope that Mel, as mad a fucker as he is – might go out, with all guns blazing…
Matthew Cooper has been a script writer for hire for over 20 years. He’s written for most of the UK soaps, including writing award winning episodes of Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Family Affairs and has been BAFTA shortlisted and Royal Television Society nominated as a script writer. He’s also a leading UK script consultant. You can find some of his broadcast credits on the IMDb. You can get in touch with Matthew on matcoop23@yahoo.co.uk or hire him on Peopleperhour