Too many classics have been remade for no other reason than trying to cash in on brand awareness and name recognition, with very few of them managing to hold a candle to their illustrious predecessors. 2003’s The Italian Job is admittedly one of them, although the do-over was remarkably solid in its own right.
The iconic Michael Caine original still ranks as one of the best crime capers ever made more than 50 years on from its release, making F. Gary Gray’s blockbuster retread seem like a fool’s errand by comparison. And yet, thanks to a light and breezy touch and committed performances from an all-star cast – despite Edward Norton making it clear in the aftermath that he was there by contractual obligation only – there’s no shortage of fun to be had.
After earning $176 million at the box office, sequel The Brazilian Job was swiftly announced… and then it sort of fell into the ether of development hell, never to be seen or heard from again. However, because no property is ever allowed to die in modern Hollywood, it was revealed back in 2021 that a streaming sequel series for Paramount Plus was in the works that would follow the misadventures of the grandchildren of Caine’s Charlie Croker.
Until that does or doesn’t happen, there are two versions of The Italian Job out there for viewers to enjoy, but it’s the remake that’s put the pedal to the metal on Netflix, with FlixPatrol revealing it to be one of the platform’s most-watched features in the early part of this week.