One the coolest films of the past few years has slipped under the radar for most. 13 Tzameti came out to acclaim at Sundance back in 2005 and was quickly passed along between the dorm rooms and frat houses of every young man eager to make his life a little more bad ass by adding some Russian Roulette to it.
Now, according to Variety, Ray Winstone and Ray Liotta are joining Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham and Sam Riley in the English-version remake – penned and directed by the original writer/director, Gela Babluani who joins the ranks of several other foreign filmmakers trying to recreate their own lightning in a bottle for Americans.
For those uninitiated into the 13 Tzameti phenomenon, it’s the story of an underground betting ring where the rich make wagers on a game inspired by and resembling Russian Roulette. The English translation of that plot synopsis should read: Go See It Immediately.
The original is a taught thriller with some incredible acting and a great directorial eye. Hopefully, Babluani will be able to go two for two when production starts later this month.
Fortunately, the cast is a strong one, and with Babluani writing his own script, Hollywood might not have as much influence in meddling with it. Unfortunately, the only thing standing in the way for the film to be a brilliant recreation of the original is the inclusion of 50 Cent in the cast. Seriously. Did I not get a memo on this guy being a viable actor? Is he even a viable rapper anymore? I thought we all agreed that he was a fad that we’d all forget about after 2005.
What do you think? Did you see 13 Tzameti? Is the remake shaping up to be great?
Related Topics: Casting, Remakes
