One of those ‘old news to them, new news to us’ news bits for you here.
Seems the debt-ridden MGM have been developing a remake of director Robert Mandel’s”F/X” – the 1986 actioner starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy – for the past couple of years. But it hasn’t got any further than a squiggle on a company whiteboard.
They’re “still trying” to get it done, an insider says, adding that the holdup is due to the script.
They’ve been a few writers on the project, and as yet, the studio hasn’t been explicitly happy with anything they’ve seen.
Like the original film (and its 1991 sequel) “F/X” is being planned as a theatrical release – so they’d like to get it right.
In the original “F/X”, Australia’s Bryan Brown plays a movie special effects man, Rollie Tyler, who’s hired to fake a real-life mob killing for a witness protection plan, but ultimately finds his own life in danger. Brian Dennehy plays a New York City police detective, Leo McCarthy, who is investigating the sham bump off.
In addition to Richard Franklin’s sequel, a 1996 TV series starring Cameron Daddo (yep, another Aussie!) as Rollie Tyler, was also produced. The show ran for 40 episodes, broadcasting its last episode in 1998.
I’d asked Bryan Brown a year or two back whether or not he thought we’d ever see another “F/X” movie again, and he was certain we would only “Not with me in it”.
I can only imagine that until MGM has a new owner that this project, and others like it (”Bond” and ”The Hobbit” are probably the ones we can be confident will still come to fruition), will be set on pause. But who knows!?
