Fill this one under ‘completely unnecessary remake’ news: In a bizarre move, AMBI Pictures announced they’re planning a remake of Christopher Nolan’s Memento without Christopher Nolan. No, it’s not an early April Fool’s Day joke. If I hadn’t received the press release from a legitimate source I would question whether this is just an elaborate prank. Why would anyone other than Nolan ever revisit the world of Memento let alone attempt to remake that critically acclaimed film? Aren’t there any decent original ideas left to be explored?
Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi are behind AMBI Pictures and will finance and produce the remake which it’s likely no one who’s ever seen the original film will watch. Apparently the rights to remake Memento were picked up by AMBI when it acquired the Exclusive Media Group library. Other titles include Cruel Intentions, Donnie Darko, Ides of March, and Snitch.
Jonathan Nolan wrote the original short story that spawned the feature film. Memento starring Guy Pearce stands as one of Christopher Nolan’s best films, earning two Oscar nominations and the Best Screenwriter of the Year award from AFI. The film also earned five Spirit Awards nominations, winning four including Best Feature and Best Director.
Announcing the remake Iervolino stated: “Memento has been consistently ranked as one of the best films of its decade. People who’ve seen Memento 10 times still feel they need to see it one more time. This is a quality we feel really supports and justifies a remake. The bar is set high thanks to the brilliance or Christopher Nolan, but we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Iervolino’s statement actually supports the case for why a remake should not be attempted, as does AMBI’s Monika Bacardi’s. “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,” stated Bacardi.
Reaction to the remake news was swift across Twitter:
On hearing that #Memento remake news…. pic.twitter.com/pv6DwQdbps
— Dark Bunny Tees (@DarkBunnyTees) November 16, 2015
I usually like to keep things optimistic round here, but a #Memento remake is possibly the worst freakin idea to come out of Hollywood!
— Alex Corey (@alexjcorey) November 16, 2015
Remaking #Memento is just backwards thinking.
— Gary Green (@GaryGreenScreen) November 16, 2015
