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Should there be a modern remake of The Longest Day?

Discussion in 'WWII Films & TV' started by Andy235, Feb 11, 2018.

  1. Andy235

    Andy235 Member

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    I love the classic 1961 film. Hollywood has redone many movies of the past, some well, some not so. But I think done right, a more realistic, grittier remake of the film based on the Cornelius Ryan book would be fantastic. The original is a product of it's time. Highly sanitized compared to modern war films. If I had a choice, this would be the first classic film that I would do a modern version of. And I would try to do it like the original---get great actors and actresses from the US, the UK, Germany, Canada, France and other nations involved. If done right, it would be amazing.
     
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  2. CAC

    CAC Ace of Spades

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    How are you going to replace:
    John Wayne - Richard Burton - Kenneth Moore - Henry Fonda - Robert Mitchum and Sean bloody Connery!??
    With Brad Pitt?
     
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  3. Highway70

    Highway70 Member

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    I am sure Hollywood could find some fine actresses to fill the various rolls. :D;)
     
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  4. Mark3

    Mark3 New Member

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    You are correct,all the good actors left are either too old or have done good war films before ie,Ed Harris,Hanks etc etc.
    Some films such as the longest day never make good remakes for the generations that enjoyed the originals,no matter how much cgi is used.
     
  5. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake Member

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    It was done, ever seen. "Saving Prvate Ryan" was the remake of the Longest Day but with 1990s Hollywood interpreting the US public mode interested in D Day as an American rather than Allied endeavor.
     
  6. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I've seen movies of great events made in other countries where the focus was on the contributions of the people from that country. Nothing surprising about it, that's the market they vending to. "der längste Tag" is an exception of note.
     
  7. KodiakBeer

    KodiakBeer Member

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    A Bridge Too Far is another great film, also based on a Cornelius Ryan book, that is international in scope and true (as true as a film can be) to the events.

    .
     
  8. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Perhaps a troika of movies? That would allow for lots of "country specific" time as well as bring in flash-backs of the special preparations. Watching the running development of the "funnies" would be fun. ny?
     
  9. belasar

    belasar Court Jester

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    A rather mixed problem here. A modern remake could only guarantee better effects or more realistic gore and as Pearl Harbor has ably demonstrated such things can not overcome bad casting, story telling and direction. I have never seen the former as being better than the latter. There are so many possible ideas out there that could be told with modern movie tools and add much rather than spending on rehashing a already classic film.
     
  10. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    It's certainly not necessary, but fun seldom is.
     
  11. harolds

    harolds Member

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    I would leave The Longest Day alone. The only classic war movie that I think could possibly be done over with better effect would be Battle of Britain. Actually, I'd take the original, replace the air combat scenes using up to date special effects but keep the rest of the original movie.
     
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  12. belasar

    belasar Court Jester

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    There are so many great story lines out there. Dieppe, Bomber Command, Escort commander Walker, USS England, Salvo Bay, Falaise, Tarawa, Leyte Gulf, Squalus/Sailfish/Sculpin saga, Java Sea, Greece/Crete and any number of stories from the Eastern Front.
     
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  13. USMCPrice

    USMCPrice Idiot at Large

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    I say we push for a remake of "The Great Escape". We can have Brad/Formerjughead star as Hilts the "Cooler King". He was born for the role.
     
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  14. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

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    I like it. We need a cast list. Obviously Otto would be Der Kommandant.... but who gets to play Karl-Otto Alberty's role?
     
  15. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake Member

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    No there are others, starting with All's Quiet on the Western Front.

    It is very much harder for film makers outside Hollywood to make a WW2 action film. The Battle of Britain was a British film but lost money until video sales pushed it into the black.It is very much harder to interest in Hollywood in a movie with non american heros. Len Deighton said that David Puttenham took his book Bomber to Hollywood. They didn't like the RAF subject nor the tragic ending. They made the movie but with an american subject and upbeat ending and called it "Memphis Belle". At least that is better than U577.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  16. KJ Jr

    KJ Jr Well-Known Member

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    Eh...I would like to see filmmakers go down a different avenue. Overlord has been oversaturated in Hollywood. I would like to see, and perhaps that trend is beginning, more biographical accounts similar to The Darkest Hour."
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2018
  17. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake Member

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    To be fair we have had "Darkest Hour" and "Churchill" with a similar theme, and for historic balance "Downfall"
     
  18. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    One would think that the British film industry should be making this into a film...Rather than complaining about the American film industry not wanting to do it. Besides, Bob Wigley has been trying to make the film since 2009-10, but has found few, if any backers. But, the film score
     
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  19. KJ Jr

    KJ Jr Well-Known Member

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    Your right. Each one was an excellent film. I would like to see more of the the major personas in the conflict.
     
  20. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    "All's Quiet" was a major US book sale, the primary reason for its success in the US market.

    The funny thing about that one is the producers touted the "realistic footage", claiming to have studied War Dept films done live at the front. However, the WD films were also recreations done with the help of veterans postwar accounts.
     

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