DB7

Stiller and Coogan are The Persuaders
Source: Variety June 7, 2005


Ben Stiller and Steve Coogan will star in a feature remake of 1971 British TV series The Persuaders, with DreamWorks Pictures, Hyde Park and Granada America partnered on the film.

Stiller will play the role originated by Tony Curtis, and British comic actor Coogan will take on Roger Moore's part.

The series, which aired in the U.S. on ABC and in the U.K. for a season, revolved around the adventures of two rich playboys. Curtis was the street-smart millionaire from the Bronx, Moore the upper cruster.

They mingled in exotic locales, romancing women and righting wrongs along the way.

Gibbie

Another example of raiding the past etc., etc., etc.

sanndevil

One doesn't want to be too negative, but....


IT'LL STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN!!

smudge

It'll just be played for laughs/kitsch ; look what they did to STARSKY & HUTCH with Stiller...

He was just mugging and the other one (Wilson ?) looked, as usual, as if he'd rather be somewhere else.

Give us a break - please !
SMUDGE

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Gibbie

Good point Smudger. I'm afraid Stiller has become a kitsch actor.

samkydd

The original series was a load of piffle, a couple of ageing rich poseurs showing off! No doubt a remake will be just as big a pile of kack as well! What next? Jason King, Department S, The Baron, The Champions, The Protectors?

As I keep remarking, in any other industry constant remakes would be seen as a sign of failure!

Time for a shakeup, clear out all the many crap directors and replace them with people who have creativity, a bit of imagination, and the ability to read a screenplay and visualise what something brand new could look like up there on the screen! Don't just use rich kids who go to film school, watch TV and then steal other people's ideas!

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

smudge

I heartily agree with that last para !

SMUDGE

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Pam1927

I liked The Persuaders! Thought it was fun. I couldn't care less if Hollywood, in its desperate search for ideas, uses and abuses the format as I won't be wasting any good money going to see it - rather stick pins in me eyes, quite frankly!

However, I heard yesterday that The Prisoner is going to be given the big-screen treatment. Can anyone confirm if that's true? If it is, I'm outraged! THAT is one crap remake too many!!!

Pam

It's nice to be nice...

smudge

THE PRIZ has been scheduled, re-scheduled and scheduled again Pam. I recall (must be late 80s/early 90s) when Kevin Costner was going to be No 6 ; then Simon West was going to direct it ; then the script was being drafted....

Last thing I heard was some rumour that No6 would now be played by some American rap person.

But I wouldn't hold your breath !

I reckon anybody who has hands on the project will have to reckon with McGoohan. In terms of the property, I don't think he has much actual power ; but if they didn't have his approval, they would be wasting an awful lot of money, as he's the only one people listen to in respect of The Prisoner.

Quite rightly so !

SMUDGE

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ollie

Is HE no' 1 then? (he said in all innocence). or am i missing the point,if there is one ,last ep to go and all that, BE seeing you

cheers Ollie.

"Bullseye !!"

Pam1927

Thanks for that, smudge! Glad to hear that the latest rumour is just one of many. A remake of The Prisoner... my blood pressure would have serious problems with that one!

I usually manage to ignore these remake things... though I did get pretty annoyed when I saw a clip of the Starsky and Hutch film, and saw the scruff-bag that was supposed to be Hutch singing 'Don't Give Up On Us, Baby'. I remember David Soul having a hit with that song, NOT Ken Hutchinson though!

My favourite gag in The Persuaders is when Tony Curtis answers the phone and says, "Who? Bernie Schwartz? Never heard of him!" Made me laugh first time round anyway. At least that's one bit they won't be able to reuse in this new film!

Pam

It's nice to be nice...

Rob Compton

I agree with you Pam, about the Persuaders. Great fun, and Tony Curtis' clowning helps to keep the plotlines going.

rgds
Rob

samkydd

It's not that I didn't like The Protectors, The Baron, Department S, Jason King and The Champions it's just that they were "of their time" and just wouldn't inspire me to want to waste millions of dollars and people's valuable time remaking any of them into feature films!

BUT on the positive side at least they were new ideas and characters, not remakes, so all credit to the people who created them!

I thought Tony Curtis played his Danny Wilde character very well in The Persuaders, and the music was good. The down side was that it didn't know whether it was a comedy or an adventure series, and personally I don't enjoy that sort of tongue-in-cheek style of programme or film (a la Lethal Weapon).

You've only got to look back at that dreadful remake of the Randall and Hopkirk Deceased series with comics Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer to realise that Steve Coogan as Lord Brett Sinclair would not be a wise choice. Someone like Ralph Fiennes perhaps, or even, dare I say, Hugh Grant?

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

sanndevil

I suspect that McGoohan probably does hold a significant amount of the copyright / equity of the series - he co-created it, was executive producer, co-wrote, co-directed. My guess is any film will not be green-lit unless he says yes.

smudge

I don't know though...

Wasn't it produced under the auspices of the ITC organisation ? Certainly all copyright material comes out of Granada Ventures ; now holding the ITC catalogue. IIRC back in the 90s, when the rumour mill was at its height, McGohhan had prepared his own script, which was subsequently rejected or not even considered.

Certainly EVERYMAN FILMS Ltd., McGoohan and Tomblin's vehicle for producing the series, was wound up some years ago. This means that entity won't exist to own the series in any case.

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...