Spike Lee’s ‘Oldboy’ Poster Released

Thanks to FilmDistrict, the first official poster has been released for Spike Lee’s adaptation of the manga Oldboy, previously converted into a film by Park Chan-wook in 2003. The poster (seen above) is not a composite, but rather a still from the actual film. Makes you wonder…

Oldboy is the story of Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin), an advertising exec who is kidnapped for twenty years and then released without explanation. After his sudden liberation, Doucett embarks on a mission to find his torturers, only to realize that the torture may not have ever ended.

The American remake of Oldboy has taken years to produce, after dozens of actors and directors turned down the film in fear of not living up to its Korean predecessor. The original film is infamous for its scene in which the lead eats an octopus alive. To live up to such a film is intimidating, and most directors did not want to stand up to the challenge.

Alongside Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men) stars Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained) and Elizabeth Olsen (Red Lights), younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley.

Fun fact about the poster (from collider.com): the title is in Brolin’s handwriting, based off of the letters his Joe Doucett writes to his daughter while being held hostage.

Lee tells fans not to expect a scene-for-scene remake of 2003’s Oldboy, but rather a new twist on the manga story. Oldboy opens in a theater near you October 25th. In the mean time, check out the trailer to Park Chan-wook’s adaptation below.