Another Classic Makeover

There’s another classic sci-fi tale getting ready for a 21st Century makeover. Fritz Lang’s classic SF flick “Metropolis” will get the once over from “Alexander” producer Thomas Schuehly and Mario Kassar.

The film first saw the light of day way back in 1927 to raving success and was the most expensive film to get produced for that era of silent filmmaking. It was also one of the first movies of its time to take a Frankenstein-esque approach to modern society and how modernity can transition the soul of a society into a heartless automoton for corporate benefit. It’s pre-depression Marx/Engel’s era view depicted the class struggle between the wealthy society of planners and thinkers who lived in luxury in their ivory towers high above over looking their creation, and the workers, who actually built the towering structures, living deep underground barely scraping out a living and toiling night and day to sustain the lives of the privileged class. The movie was lauded for its science fiction approach to what a modern cityscape would look like, much of it actually occuring in real life with its multi-story skyscrapers becoming common place in the ensuing decades.

“Metropolis” was also the first film to use science fiction as the backdrop to make a purely political statement, something that was somewhat revised with the introduction of “Star Trek” by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960’s.

The producers are currently scouting for a director to helm the project.