Add another remake to the tally, as "Kids" director Larry Clark has entered the fray. Variety reports that the offbeat filmmaker will give us a new take on "Mona Lisa," director Neil Jordan's 1986 crime drama. Clark has turned to Mickey Rourke, whose career is enjoying a second wind thanks to high-profile appearances in "Sin City" and "The Wrestler," for the starring role of George. Rourke will follow Bob Hoskins, whose performance in the Jordan original earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
In the original film, George is a recently freed ex-convict who lands a job driving for a high-class call girl named Simone (Cathy Tyson). The two develop an affection for one another even as conflicting loyalties pull them in opposite directions. Chief among their problems is Dinny (Michael Caine), George's old boss.
Variety has little to say about Clark's plans for the remake, other than that he will write and direct it himself. No other casting has been confirmed, though Eva Green is described as being in "advanced negotiations to star opposite [Rourke]." HandMade Films will produce the remake, which is expected to start shooting in July.
I've never seen Jordan's "Mona Lisa" before, but Rourke has proven himself to be an incredibly multi-faceted performer in his more recent roles. A struggling ex-con who is caught between two loyalties seems to be well within the actor's range, though fans of the original might find it jarring to see the big lug in place of the short, portly Hoskins.
Clark is the biggest X-factor as far as I'm concerned. His 1995 directorial debut "Kids" is as repellent as it is disturbing, painting an ugly picture of adolescence in New York against the backdrop of late-20th century AIDS fears. That said, I've seen nothing from Clark since that first outing. Maybe his outlook on life has brightened a bit since then.
Has anyone out there seen the original "Mona Lisa"? Can you picture Rourke replacing Hoskins in the starring role? How do you feel about Clark taking on this project?
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