Point Break Remake in the Works
Posted 09.13.11 by Ryan
Johnny Utah's going to get another chance to bring down the bad guys.
Alcon Entertainment is remaking 1991's Point Break, which starred Keanu Reeves as a rookie FBI agent who goes undercover as a surfer to bring down down a bank robber (Patrick Swayze) and his crew. Academy Award–winning director Kathryn Bigelow directed the original.
While no director is currently attached to the remake, screenwriter Kurt Wimmer (Salt) wrote the screenplay, which will again follow a young FBI agent going undercover to bring down criminals — this time in the world of international extreme sports.
"Kurt's take infuses the story and characters with new twists and settings," said Alcon founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson. The studio also recently purchased the rights to 1982's Blade Runner and has director Ridley Scott attached to direct a sequel.
Point Break was a box office hit when it debuted in 1991, earning $83 million worldwide on a $24-million budget — and then gained an even stronger following when it debuted on VHS. The movie had a lot going for it: Swayze and Reeves surfing and skydiving; a more stable Gary Busey, still able to play an authority figure; a spunky Lori Petty as Reeves' love interest; and Reeves firing his gun into the sky in anger. "Point Break wasn't just a film, it was a Zen meditation on testosterone fueled action and manhood in the late 20th century and we hope to create the same for the young 21st," said remake producer Michael De Luca (Fright Night). De Luca and his fellow producers better hope they're right that younger viewers will latch on to the remake, as fans of the original will likely be pretty discriminating.
Point Break is also the third iconic Patrick Swayze movie to get remade in recent years. Red Dawn was shot in 2009, and could finally see release later this year, while a Dirty Dancing remake was announced last month with screenwriter Maria Maggenti (Monte Carlo) already hired to write the screenplay.