To call the original Memento one of the most important films of the last 20 years would only be slightly hyperbolic. It would be memorable if it was only a modern day updating of the film noir genre. However, its structure, with both chronological and reverse chronological narratives, made it legendary. It was a film that required you to pay attention, to follow a mystery similar to the one the main character was following, and it kept your rapt attention. It launched the careers of Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, and without it, we would have missed out on great entertainment ranging from the Batman films to the Person of Interest TV show.
So, naturally, Hollywood would want to remake it. But who knew that it would take them only 15 years to do it?
AMBI Pictures has announced that it has green lighted a remake of the 2000 film that starred Guy Pierce as an amnesiac with the inability to hold on to short-term memories who is trying to track down his wife’s killer using tattoos and Polaroids to help him remember. The company’s co-founder Monika Bacardi has this to say about the news:
Memento is a masterpiece that leaves audiences guessing not just throughout the film, but long after as well, which is a testament to its daring approach. We intend to stay true to Christopher Nolan’s vision and deliver a memorable movie that is every bit as edgy, iconic and award-worthy as the original. It’s a big responsibility to deliver something that lives up to the mastery of the original, but we are extremely excited and motivated to bring this puzzle back to life and back into the minds of moviegoers.
All I have to say is, good luck with that. I believe the film worked as well as it did solely because of the Nolan brothers. Besides, there has already been a remake: Bollywood’s Ghanjini, which borrowed deeply from Memento for its plot.
AMBI gained the sequel and remake rights to Memento and around 400 other films when it bought out Executive Media Group’s library back in September. The company is developing another acquisition, Cruel Intentions, as a TV show.
Via /Film and The Hollywood Reporter.
