Don Bradley to Direct Remake of Red Dawn
Cast to Include Chris Hemsworth, Connor Cruise, Josh Peck
Aug 10, 2009
The Cold War sparked many films and books about what might happen if Communism took hold in the United States. One film, Red Dawn, released in 1984, focused on a small town in Colorado that is invaded by the Soviet Union (as it was known then) and their Cuban allies, as World War II has begun in the United States. A small group of high school students who managed to avoid arrest is hiding in the mountains, stock piling weapons to prepare to free their families and friends who have been detained in "work camps.". The film was certainly timely; in 1984, the United States and The Soviet Union were still at odds and the threat of nuclear war always seemed to be looming. The film played off the idea that communism was spreading quickly and Americans needed to be prepared to fight back.
The remake is scheduled for release in 2010 and many are wondering how the film will change now that the world has.
Red Dawn 1984: The United States vs. The Soviet Union and Cuba
The original film was written and directed by John Milius and stars several Hollywood teen idols of the time, including Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing), Patrick Sawyze (Road House, Dirty Dancing), C. Thomas Howell (Soul Man), Lea Thompson (Some Kind of Wonderful) and Charlie Sheen (Platoon). Other lesser known actors included Brad Savage, Darren Dalton and Doug Toby. Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen play Jed and Matt Eckert, two brothers who escape in a truck along with their friends, Robert, Danny and Daryl (Howell, Savage and Dalton) after Soviet and Cuban paratroopers invade the town suddenly and violently. They seek shelter with an old couple, who beg them to take their granddaughters, Toni and Erica (Grey and Thompson) to safety. The teens begin collecting weapons and planning an offensive in order to free the Eckert's father, a military colonel. They give themselves the name "wolverines" after their high school mascot.
The film is violent and most of the characters die during their crusade to save their town from communists, including one who is shot by the others because they believe he is a traitor. The New York Times published an article on September 4, 1984 detailing the National Coalition on Television Violence's reaction to the film ("'Red Dawn' Condemned as Rife with Violence"). Red Dawn was also the first film to be rated PG-13. Despite the criticism of the violence portrayed in the film, it certainly stirred an emotional response from young people--and the US givernment. According to an article in USA Today, the 2003 mission to capture Sadaam Hussein in Iraq was nicknamed "Operation Red Dawn" after the film.
Red Dawn 2010: The US vs. The Middle East?
While it remains unclear exactly which enemy will be battled by high school students in the 2010 remake of Red Dawn, MGM, the studio making the film, has said the remake will be made "keeping in mind this post-9/11 world we live in ("MGM: Two Up for a Remake Treatment--MGM May Remake the 80s Action Films" by Steven Zeitchik. The Hollywood Reporter, May 17, 2008).
The film will be directed by Dan Bradley, who has worked on films such as Spiderman 3 and The Bourne Ultimatum. Some details about the cast have been released; slated to star are Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, 2009), Josh Peck from the Nickelodeon series Drake and Josh and Adrianne Palicki from NBC's Friday Night Lights. Kurt Russell may also be cast, along with Tom Cruise's son Connor Cruise, Isabel Lucas and Josh Hutcherson. According to a local Michigan newspaper, the town of Marquette, Michigan is being considered for the film's location.
No details of the film's plot have been released but one might assume that the formula of the original is closely followed: a small town is invaded by terrorists, likely from the Middle East, and a group of teens form a resistance. Who knows if the film will be as violent as the original or if the film's message will remain the same.
