Nichols 'High' on Kurosawa remake (VAR)
By Nancy Tartaglione-Vialatte
Mike Nichols is set to direct a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s "High and Low" for Miramax. Variety reports that the film, which has yet to start casting, is written by David Mamet and produced by Scott Rudin.
It was Kurosawa-phile Martin Scorsese who originally commissioned Mamet to write the screenplay in 1999. Scorsese likely will executive produce.
The original 1963 detective thriller starred Toshiro Mifune and was based on the Ed McBain novel "King’s Ransom." The story was about a businessman who is ruined when he honorably pays ransom to kidnappers who mistakenly took his driver’s son.
Other Kurosawa films to have been remade by Hollywood include "The Seven Samurai" and "Rashomon." Steven Spielberg is developing a remake of "Ikiru" at DreamWorks, which he may possibly direct, says Variety. And the Weinstein Co. has been developing another "Seven Samurai" remake.
Nichols and Rudin worked together previously on the director’s 2004 release "Closer" and the 1991 Harrison Ford-starrer "Regarding Henry.”
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Mike Nichols ‘High’ on remake (VAR)
