Whether re-makes, re-imaginings and sequels are worth their time and effort is a battle that has raged among movie fans ever since D.W. Griffith decided to cash in on the success of “Birth of a Nation” with 1916’s “Fall of a Nation.” Yep, they’ve been around that long.
Every actor has to make up their own mind on how they feel about such matters, and one of our favorites is Natalie Portman, who has some interesting thoughts on the matter.
“When something works you don’t touch it,” Portman explained to us recently. “You try to create something new that’s positive.” (If you want more Natalie, our full “Rough Cut” interview with Portman is viewable here.
As such, she insisted that she’ll never star in a long-rumored sequel to her first film, the ass-kicking classic “The Professional.” “I really love that film,” she added. “And I would work with [director] Luc Besson again, in a second, but [not on a sequel].”
Keeping with that theme, she has a similar message for Mr. George Lucas. “I’m so honored to have been a part of [the 'Star Wars' prequels],” she beamed. “I got to basically latch on to this thing, that was a huge success before I was ever involved.”
That said, don’t expect to ever see Princess Padme and her trippy hairdos again. “I spent ten years working on these films,” she insisted. “It’s time to let it continue on its own.”
Portman’s opinion apparently differs, however, when it comes to remakes. She’ll begin filming her first, based on the 2004 Denmark film “Brothers,” in just a few weeks. “I play Tobey Maguire’s wife,” she said of the flick, to be directed by Jim Sheridan. “Tobey plays a Marine, who is sent off to war the same week that his brother, who Jake Gyllenhaal plays, gets out of jail. So when Jake gets out of jail, he’s taking care of his brother’s wife and kids, while [Maguire's character] is away. Obviously, when [Maguire] comes back, there’s a problem.”
The 26-year-old added that while she has seen the source material, she won’t be patterning her performance off it. “I did [see "Brodre"], but I’m not going to study it,” she reasoned. “I think it’s a very different movie.”
<i>Does it seem hypocritical to condemn sequels, while embracing remakes? Or do you support Portman’s stance? Let us know your thoughts!</i>
November 26th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I think sequels have by far better chances of becoming good movies on their own, although generally that is not the case.
Remakes, however, seem to me most of the times as unnecesary as an extra pinky finger, although, again, there are some exceptions.
In any case, without sequels we wouldn’t have Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back or Aliens; without remakes we wouldn’t have Cronenberg’s Fly, Spielberg’s WotW, or even Burton’s Planet of the Apes… and those certainly are films well worth at view.
November 26th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
Portman should start her own show…. like, drama or somthin’. It suits her.
November 27th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Remakes are better than sequels. Most remakes just use the concept where sequels try to mimic the formula. Since most dramas share similar structures and themes, I don’t have an issue with them.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Who cares what Natalie says? “Oh I spent 10 years on Star Wars”. Really? I’ve seen trained monkeys act better than she has. In fact, I’d rather see a monkey throw poop on Anikan than watch her act. At least I’ll know that’s real talent. She won’t do a sequal to The Professional? Please, don’t do us any favors. Yes, she’s got a pretty face, we get it. Now start throwing poop and maybe I’ll give a…
November 28th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Even amazing actors flounder when the director only cares about effects and not performances, jumpin. If you see almost anything else she’s been in, she’s brilliant.
November 28th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
I respect her opinion whatever it is, she is a very intelligent and talented women and she has certainly seen a lot of things and witnessed a side of movies most havnt. So i would agree with her. Remakes in my opinion are much better than sequels.. at least history tells us this. It would have been great for a proffesional 2 but i see that it will never be like the original now that Natalies grown up. She is still talented(extremly) but its a different kind of talent then her natural one when she was young. but of coarse being the amazing individual she is, when you started to see her natural acting not work anymore with her age(star wars, i also think is was misdirecting, but any fan of Nat knows those where not her greatest films…and we all cring when we see them :P) but she adapted with her skill and knowledge of life(closer, garden state V FOR VENDETTA!!) so i think we see her and sequals not the best idea…at least for her