'Third Man' Remake Looms

Once again I am forced to ask myself why is a remake even being toyed with. News broke last night that claims Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are being setup to remake the classic film noir "The Third Man". I have always believed that remakes are necessary to improve upon film, not to just put a shiny new coat of paint, like some cheap used car salesman. Regardless of my love for the original film, a "The Third Man" remake looks like it will be in theaters sooner than later. Read more details after the jump...

The original 1949 film directed by Carol Reed followed Holly Martins, a pulp fiction novelist, who comes to Vienna in lue of an old friend Harry Lime's invitation. Once Holly arrives however in the post-WWII Vienna, he finds his friend has died in a car accident. Holly investigates his friends death only to find conflicting reports in the stories of Harry's friends. Holly Martins decides to discover what really happened to his friend.

The remake has been penned by Steven Knight (Eastern Promises) and will soon look to find a studio to back the film. With DiCaprio and Maguire in the leads, I'm sure studios will be jumping in line for this property. There is no confirmation on exactly how the remake is being handled or who exactly is playing which characters. Devin Faraci, who broke the scoop over at CHUD, asks what the setting will be. Will we have a period piece or will this classic piece of film be updated to a modern setting, say the Middle East. There is also no confirmation of who Tobey Maguire or DiCaprio will play, but strong money would agree with Devin that Maguire would step into the role of Holly Martins while DiCaprio would most likely play the Harry Lime, a role made famous by Orson Welles.

I really hate the idea of remaking film that is considered perfect. Take a class on film and I guarantee The Third Man will be a topic of discussion. However the pieces in place for the remake do make a strong case for this "The Third Man" to be not so bad. Only time will tell, so stay tuned for more updates as they develop...

Source: CHUD

What say you? Is it necessary to remake The Third Man? Do you welcome the idea with talent aboard? Strikeback...