After a small gap following a big year forMichael B. Jordan, theCreedstar has seemingly found his next big project. THR is reporting that the brilliant performer, who also did some impressive work in last year’s botchedFantastic Fourremake, will next be starring in a remake ofThe Thomas Crown Affair, the famous, seductive crime caper fromNorman Jewisonin 1968. Jordan would be stepping into the shoes of the greatSteve McQueen, who originated the role of a millionaire playboy who takes up high-stakes thievery when the business of making money begins to bore him.
In the original, McQueen was partnered withFaye Dunawayas an insurance investigator, but there’s no word yet as to who will be matching wits with Jordan in the remake. In fact, Jordan is the only name currently attached to the project, with MGM just starting to look for writers and filmmakers to put the film together. Depending on who exactly they get to pen and helm the project, this could be a very, very promising work, one that could speak to the inherent challenges of being wealthy and African-American in America, as well as the limitations of money’s ability to bring anyone happiness.
Of course, it also might just be a fun, thoughtless entertainment, as was the case withJohn McTiernan’s remake of the film in 1999, which sawPierce Brosnanin the titular role oppositeRene Russoas his beloved investigator. McTiernan’s film did not offer much in contemplation of wealth, inner peace, or even sexual attraction in regards to the romance that blooms between the two characters, but the film exudes charm to this day, and providedDenis Learywith one of his more purely enjoyable performances in film, right up there withThe RefandThe Neon Bible. Jewison’s film was far more intricate in both aesthetic and thematic considerations, and one simply cannot hope to overcome the sizzling chemistry between McQueen and Dunaway. Where exactly the latest take on this timeless material will land will likely not be clear until we hear who will be directing the project, and who will be hot on Jordan’s tail.
