Mandate Pictures have confirmed in a press release that, as rumored, Spike Lee will direct the American remake of Chan-wook Park’s 2003 cult hit, Oldboy. Lee is certainly an intriguing choice, but probably in the same way that Gary Busey would be an intriguing choice to run a petting zoo.

Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, The Cell) has adapted the screenplay and will co-produce. Roy Lee and Doug Davison (The Departed, The Grudge) will produce. The film is a Vertigo Entertainment/40 Acres & A Mule Production. Mandate President Nathan Kahane will executive produce.
“It’s a great honor to put this special project into the hands of such a gifted writer and iconic director,” said Kahane.
Oldboy tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned on his daughter’s birthday. For fifteen years, he is held captive, and, upon his release, must begin his journey to find the reason for his imprisonment. He soon finds out that his kidnapper has plans for him more tortuous than his solitary confinement. The original film, released in 2003, directed by Chan-wook Park won the Grand Prize Jury Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. [ComingSoon]

Oldboy 2: Who You Callin’ Boy? I can’t wait. I bet when Oh Dae-Su (Bro Dae-Su? No, that’s racist, forget I said it) finds his captor, it will be a kindly old pizza man who was secretly racist all along. Or maybe a Korean grocer. That’d be kind of meta. KIND OF.