If it wasn't already official, it is now... nothing is sacred. Back in 2000, Christopher Nolan's Memento - which starred Guy Pearce as an amnesiac attempting to solve his wife's murder - wowed audiences with its backwards structure, earning two Oscar nominations and signalling the director's arrival in Hollywood. And now it's getting a remake.
The news comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, who report that AMBI Pictures has acquired the rights to Memento and they have plans to remake Nolan's beloved psychological thriller. AMBI head Monika Bacardi offered this reason for the decision: "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".
"People who’ve seen Memento 10 times still feel they need to see it one more time", AMBI's Andrea Iervolino added. "This is a quality we feel really supports and justifies a remake. The bar is set high thanks to the brilliance or [sic] Christopher Nolan, but we wouldn’t want it any other way."
Not all remakes are inherently bad ideas, but this one is a bit of a head-scratcher. For one thing, Nolan's Memento is only 15 years old, making it relatively fresh. For another, it will be very difficult to top Nolan's original effort. Kudos to the filmmaker who signs on the dotted line for this one. And just in case this didn't upset you enough, AMBI pictures have also acquired the rights to Donnie Darko. Nothing is sacred...
