I recently revisited The Cannonball Run, for the first time since my teens. It has not aged well. I had remembered greatly enjoying its excitement, fast cars, squealing tyres and a self-mocking Roger Moore, but that all seemed to have mysteriously evaporated, leaving me with a bland and lifeless film.
It could therefore be argued that this makes it all the more ripe and fitting for a reboot – an older film, not nearly as good as anyone remembered and not an inviolable treasure, held sacredly in cinema goers hearts. News of a remake is therefore initially welcomed, though eventually feared on examining the small print, for the plan seems to be for US car-giant General Motors to stump up a load of the budget in return for some utterly obvious product placement. For those who don’t remember the original, or its not-too-bad sequel, lots of cars and their drivers head across the US in a coast to coast race for a big money (and kudos heavy) prize. Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, Jackie Chan, Dom DeLouise and Peter Fonda all took part, though there seems to be some legitimate concern that a film about speeding across the US might land the film-makers in trouble with more litigious types, all of which may result in the film being shot in Germany, where there are a number of relatively speed limit-free autobahns.
Shawn Levy (Night At The Museum, Real Steel) had expressed some interest in the project, wishing to work with Ben Stiller, however Guy Ritchie has apparently emerged as the front-runner, perhaps with the successful blending of comedy and action he has achieved for Sherlock Holmes proving to be a significant factor. Although GM are over 1/3 owned by the US and Canadian governments, they would be looking to get themselves a high-profile showcase for their new models in return for the cash they will invest in the production budget.
Morgan Spurlock will no doubt be choking on his Big Mac as he hears about this, but what can you say? It is, if nothing else, a sign of the times.
Source: Vulture.
