Warner Bros is developing a remake of Outland, a 1981 film starring Sean Connery and Peter Boyle. The film followed a marshal (Connery) serving a tour at a mining station on one of Jupiter’s moons. Shortly before his tour ends and retirement begins, he finds himself investigating the violent deaths of several miners. Connections are made and a conspiracy is uncovered, albeit one that absolutely no one, not even the victims, wants exposed or disrupted. The marshal must decide whether to take a stand and risk his life to take the operation down or let justice slide and return to Earth with his wife. Michael Davis (Shoot ‘Em Up) is attached to direct with Chad St. John (multiple other developing Warner Bros projects) writing.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new update would be a large, tentpole film. The action will move to an orbital city above Earth’s moon. A character is also added in the form of the wife’s ex, with whom the marshal must team up with in order to have a chance at saving the city from the conspiracy. It’s not clear whether the nature of the conspiracy remains the same as the original, but feel free to check out Wikipedia if you want to know what it was.
The original’s not a bad film by any means, but it probably is ripe for updating and improving. Perhaps the most awkward element was a futuristic universe that featured a strongly-accented Scotsman in space. It also suffered from its fair share of technical limitations, and that will no doubt be rectified and expanded. I can’t say a remake of this would offend me.
