Smith & Speilberg are Oldboys

Yet another needlessly dumb remake of an Asian movie.  However, this clunker-to-be will have two very big names attached to it.  Variety has word that Steven Spielberg is collaborating with Will Smith in doing a remake of Chan-wook Park's 2003 film Oldboy.  Spielberg's Dreamworks is currently in negotiations to get its hands on the rights. 

I don't mean to sound defeatist, but with Spielberg & Smith attached, there's little doubt that they will be.  Will Smith (should everything go according to plan) will of course take the lead role.  After his surprisingly good performance in I Am Legend (though the film was otherwise crap) I think Smith could do the role.  There's no word if Spielberg will actually direct the film (since his pet project Tintin might be finally coming down the pipe) or if he'll just produce.  But since the article says he's been looking for a project to do with Smith, I'm leaning towards him possibly directing.

The question arises...why bother?  I mean besides the fact the original works so perfectly and thus it's ripe for plucking by American studios. Then again, Spielberg might be eyeing the director's chair himself and hoping for his own Departed (yes that was a remake as well).  Just to let everyone know that he's still a director to be respected after the ludicrasy of Crystal Skull. 

But, nothing is set in stone as of yet.  Negotiations are still under way and Spielberg is hunting for a scribe to start hammering something out if the talks go his way.