George Clooney to remake "Network" — LIVE on CBS

[NYCGirl]

Ordinarily, I HATE remakes, especially when they're of good films that don't need remaking. But this project is a fascinating idea, IMO. And LIVE TV is especially fascinating.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/05/AR2005100502268_pf.html

CBS and George Clooney are planning a live TV remake of "Network," Paddy Chayefsky's critically acclaimed, scathing satire of the television industry, in which a network's news division encourages an aging anchor to rave madly on-air for the sake of bigger ratings.

I know -- but in 1976 it was considered shocking and outrageous.

Execs at CBS were taken by surprise when Clooney leaked word of the project -- being developed for next fall -- to the Associated Press while promoting his flick "Good Night, and Good Luck."

-snipped-

Clooney told the AP that when he screened the film for a group of "young people," none of them recognized that it was a dark satire: "I couldn't understand it, I realized that everything Chayefsky wrote about happened. . . . And so, suddenly, the idea that the anchor is more important than the news story, and that you'd be doing sort of reality-based shows, all happened," Clooney said in the interview.

[Kenroy]

1. This could be good

it's one of the great screenplays of all time. But he'll never be able to get away with the language. It'll have to be bowdlerized pretty badly.

[spuddonna]

2. Oh that could be so delicious...

I hope they do it justice! After seeing the trailer for "Good Night and Good Luck" it looks like he could do a really awesome job on this!

[AspenRose]

3. Ooooooh, he is on a roll

I see politics in his future. Like father, like son.

"We're mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore!"

George, :yourock:

[deutsey]

4. Wow, that sounds very interesting. I hope he can pull it off

My respect for Clooney grows with almost every project he does.

[LTR]

5. I'm on the fence when it comes to remakes

Some are good ('Bourne Identity', for one). Some not so good (a TV remake of 'The Shining'?).

Most of the time, remakes don't do anything to really update the original. They just go through the motions. This is a rare case of a movie that could really be updated for a new generation. The original was pretty outrageous for 1976, but scary thing is, it doesn't seem so ridiculous today. It seems more like a documentary.

Clooney certainly has some potential in this idea, and I hope he can really do something great with it.

[Blue Belle]

8. Don't discount Clooney's attempt just yet...

He was one of the creative minds behind remaking the movie "Fail Safe" - and that was a live project. It was a pretty damn good remake if you ask me... and you know he's going to have a stable full of talented actors ready to align themselves with this project. I think Clooney will do a fabulous job. :)

[Cha]

11. And I hear Clooney's

"Good Night, And Good Luck" is Awesome..in fact I saw the trailer and know it is.

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/goodnightandgoodluck.html

[tridim]

13. Yep, I was surprised how good "Fail Safe" was

I assume this'll be produced by the same group of people.

[Cha]

10. "Bourne Idenity" was fantastic but

the sequel sucked, imo.

As far as "Network" is concerned..I bet George Clooney makes it to tie into today's networks.

[quiet.american]

6. And being live, viewers can really go their windows and shout --

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" :)

[NYCGirl]

23. That would be brilliant if it happened!

:bounce:

[Missy M]

7. What a great idea. With George Clooney behind it I'm sure none of us...

will be disappointed. It is pretty interesting about the group of "young people" who couldn't recognize the original "Network" as satire because it has all happened. I can't wait until next fall.

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. Sounds like it could be good, but

I don't see the point in doing it live. There's no immediacy to "Network" — not throughout, anyway — as there was to "Fail-Safe." (I didn't see Clooney's remake of that, btw.)

Oh... and the actual line from the original "Network" is "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore."

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. Doing it live could allow for last minute real-news inserts into

the script. Interesting potential.

[NYCGirl]

24. Great idea! NT

[Missy M]

12. Another good remake of Paddy Chayefsky's in this day and age...

would be "The Hospital". Does anyone remember that one with George C. Scott and Diana Riggs? With the state of medical care today it is right on.

[rocktivity]

14. DING DING DING! NYCGirl, you're our grand prize winner!

Ordinarily, I HATE remakes, especially when they're of good films that don't need remaking. But this project is a fascinating idea, IMO. And LIVE TV is especially fascinating.

I winced when I read this thread title--I thought it meant Clooney had made the announcement live on CBS. I, too, hate remakes of movies that don't need to be remade (most recently The Manchurian Candidate). But I, too, find the prospect of putting Network in a live TV environment very invigorating.

The devil will be in the casting, of course--do we bring Hollywood to the small screen, rely on televison's top drawer talent, or split the difference? Assuming that Clooney's taking Holden's part, who gets Dunway's--a Sharon Stone or a Heather Locklear?

:shrug:
rocknation

[NYCGirl]

17. Even better, who gets to play Howard Beale?

A really, really juicy role for some lucky actor.

BTW, here's Keith Olbermann doing his version of Howard Beale:

[rocktivity]

20. That's the spirit! Come on, let's cast this thing!

Who from TV, AND who from the moviesm, would you like to see in the roles of Finch, Dunway, and Holden?

:headbang:
rocknation

[NYCGirl]

21. An interesting choice for Beale (Finch's role) might be Robin Williams.

Before you scoff, when he's tightly directed, he can be really compelling, and he has the manic intensity needed.

[Neshanic]

29. NO! Robin will suck the life out of it. No Carey, no Hoffman, no Pacino

Ed Harris as Beal.

[NYCGirl]

30. Very interesting choice. NT

[Neshanic]

27. Matt Damon as Dunaway.

[meganmonkey]

16. Wow - even if it isn't great, it will bring a VERY IMPORTANT issue

to the TV-watching folks. Everyone loves Clooney, right? And thje original Network was BRILLIANT so if this even scratches the surface, it will be better than what people are watching now.

[Neocondriac]

18. Will and Grace...

was live last week , and it rocked!

[Lena inRI]

19. We've come full circle. . .

this GWBush era is actually the real life imitation of the 1970s original Network. . .

and Clooney's LIVE remake of this story will come around to bite the Bush corruptables in the ass!

Life imitating art. . .art imitating life!

Go for it George Clooney. . .

George C tackles George B. . .touche!

:kick:

[lateo]

22. Clooney is kicking ass.

Wonderful, wonderful man.

[NYCGirl]

25. Friday kick.

[Neshanic]

26. But will it play as 1976 or 2005? If it plays 2005, it's absurd.

Because the movie foretold the collapse of everything good that television and the public interest the networks cared about.

How could you portray the networks as morally bankrupt when they already are? Will it be completely over the top, or will he set it as it was, which will confuse the younger set to no end, since they will not get the satire of it all?

[NYCGirl]

28. We'll just have to wait and see the script, I guess.

[Neshanic]

32. He's not changing it.

"In an interview with the AP, which first reported news of the remake, Clooney said he will basically leave Chayefsky's script alone, just updating it a bit by supplanting a Black Panther group with a terrorist group."

So how will this shock anyone? Kids now see more on "Jackass" than the original movie could portend.

Some things do not need a remake. Add this to the list.

[NYCGirl]

33. If this were to be a film, I'd say that. But as a LIVE TV play,

it's a remarkable idea.

[Borgnine]

31. As of late, I can almost forgive Clooney for Batman & Robin.