Twitch is reporting that actor Colin Firth has been offered the role of the villain in the upcoming remake of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. If he were to accept, he would be facing off against Josh Brolin, who signed onto the project not long ago for the lead role.
For those unfamiliar with the original Korean film, it follows a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner for 15 years without any explanation. When he is finally released, he sets out on a journey to discover the reason and to seek revenge.
This would be a departure from the type of roles that Firth normally plays in films like The King’s Speech, Love Actually, and Mamma Mia, basically films that are geared more towards families. Then again, it seems to be the going trend this week for actors affiliated with lighter roles to turn dark as we’ve already seen Elijah Wood and David Schwimmer sign on for roles involving killing, something atypical for both of them.
Personally, I have no doubt that Firth would make a great villain. He is a powerful actor, something he has proven with his back-to-back Oscar nominations, winning just earlier this year for his brilliant performance in The King’s Speech. I’ve only seen the original Oldboy once a few years ago, and from what I remember, it was bizarre, but quite interesting. I‘d love to see what Firth would do with the role.
The remake is being directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay by Mark Protosevich (Thor).
There is currently no release date set for the film.
Do you think Firth is right for the role? If not, who should play it instead?
