Just as Hollywood thought they could resurrect “The Omen” and make it better (they didn’t), here we go again with another example of a director thinking he can improve on a subject that was tackled in the past and already served its purpose.
Director Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last Stand) wants to update the 1978 SF political thriller “The Boys From Brazil.” What could he possibly be thinking? First of all, the original film had some real giants in it, Gregory Peck, Sir Laurence Oliver, James Mason and Denholm Elliott, and even though the concept was an intriquing one, even they couldn’t save it from its lackluster script. Secondly, unless Ratner plans on a complete rewrite, the storyline, while looking great on paper, simply may not translate well on the screen (well, Peck as Dr. Mengele being eaten by his own dogs was, shall we say – pleasing to watch! – the ultimate payback).
The original concept for “The Boys From Brazil” concerned itself with a young Nazi hunter named Barry Kohler, who tracks down a group of SS officers meeting in Paraguay in the late 1970s. The Nazis, led my Dr. Mengele, are planning the unthinkable. Veteran Nazi hunter, Ezra Lieberman, is at first uninterested in Kohler’s findings, but upon learning something of their plan, becomes very concerned and seeks to find out more. Lieberman then goes on his own investigation to uncover the Nazi plot. It is during his own hunting that he discovers the horrible truth. What is that horrific thing he uncovers? The nasty Boys From Brazil are cloning Adolph Hitler and grooming him for world domination.
If Ratner keeps the timeline in the 1970’s and stays true to the Levin novel then he will need to get around the original flawed scripting. If, however, he updates it to the present, then he will need to take into account that all those originally involved from the 1940’s Third Reich are all dead or near death by 2006. Whatever he finally decides, an extensive rewriting and changing of the original film will be needed – and that just might turn out to be its saving grace. Ratner plans on directing with Richard Potter and Matthew Stravitz doing script duty.
New Line negotiated the rights from Granada Films, which acquired the rights to the Ira Levin novel when buying the ITC library. “The Boys From Brazil” will be produced by Rob Green of Granada, along with Rat Entertainment partners Ratner and Jay Stern.
I’ll save final judgment on this one until it comes out, but at this point, I’m not holding my breath with anticipation of something stellar.
