| Date | Original Topic |
| 24th March 2004 | Casting the new "Zulu" film.
By Leigh Tarrant
Where are we with our thoughts of the new Zulu as made by the guys on the other side of the big pond. I have now read that Mel (Bounty) Gibson would like a shot at taking over directorship. in the running for some of the characters at the Rorkes Drift battle are :
Julie Roberts : Miss Witt (Bit old!)
Jude Law : Bromhead
Pierce Bronsnan : Chard
Clint Eastwood : Otto Witt
Andrew Sachs : Surgeon Reynolds
William Franks (Star Treks Riker) : Colour Sgt Bourne
and finally,
The music could be scored by James Horner.....
I think the plot will perhaps start from the earlier in the day (massacre) and finish where the old Zulu finished.
Your thoughts please.
|
| Date | Replies |
| 24th March 2004 | AMB
Hans Zimmer for the music! |
| 24th March 2004 | Ian
What about Hans Christian Andersen for script writer? It would be the usual mashing of OUR history! |
| 25th March 2004 | Tarkis
Wow are you serious? Are they really making a new Zulu film (or a remake of the original)? Only yersterday I was speculating on how good it would be if they did that! Is there arny news on this, ie websites or something? Thanks,
Tarkis
Aspiring Roarkes Drift and Isandlhwana tourist. |
| 25th March 2004 | Mel Gibson
Actually I am casting Ewan McGregor as Bromhead and Ioan Gruffud as Colour Sergeant Bourne. Chard has yet to be cast. There will no Mrs or Miss Witt since this is going to be a straight adventure film I do not believe that any female member of the Witt family has anything to do with the battle anyway. Ken Branagh is interested in playing James Langly Dalton but has not signed yet. Sean Pertwee will play Hook (no �Hooky� here) and James Purefoy has agreed to the part of Fred Hitch. That�s all for now � don�t want to give it all away.
Mel |
| 25th March 2004 | Andy Lee
Leigh
Miss Witt got to be Britney Spears please.
Andy |
| 25th March 2004 | Simon Copley
i know we've had this joke before Andy but I think it's worth repeating:
She could do a nude bathing scene in the Tugela and we could call the film (altogether now...) "THE WASHING OF THE BRITNEY SPEARS" |
| 25th March 2004 | John Young
I caught something on the BBC1 morning news this morning where the Entertainment Correspondent, made a quick reference to Mel Gibson considering a project with a close resemblance to a Western, could it be?
John Y. |
| 25th March 2004 | Leigh Tarrant
That be John!! .....no joking. Watch this space.
|
| 25th March 2004 | Alex Rossiter
Excellent!!!!
I hope they do include Isandlwana in the film.
I hope Jude Law isnt in it , Piece Brosnin is quite a good choice.
Lets hope its nothing like "the patriot" or "we were soldiers"
|
| 26th March 2004 | Natalija Mohovika
I trust my earlier posts to this forum are now being taken with more than a pinch of salt and a sneer! |
| 28th March 2004 | Alex Rossiter
I think maybe a apology is in order from all those who acusesd Natalija of messing with our minds about a new zulu fil.... |
| 28th March 2004 | Diana Blackwell
Apologize? Why? As a repeat visitor to this forum, Natalija knows (or should know) that this site has no mechanism for confirming the identities or email addresses of those who post. Consequently anybody can say anything under any name whatsoever. Several of us asked Natalija nicely more than once to provide some shred of confirmatory evidence for her claims. She didn't...in fact, she didn't reply at all. That doesn't make her claims false, but it doesn't inspire confidence in them, either.
Maybe the real Mel Gibson is announcing real plans here, but in the absence of some confirmation from outside this discussion forum, a bit of skepticism seems reasonable. |
| 28th March 2004 | Natalija
Thanks Alex for your kind comments. Apologies to anyone if I have hurt feelings or whatever but the main purpose was to gauge reaction. I do sense some antagonism towards the idea of a remake in some quarters however. |
| 28th March 2004 | Peter Ewart
Natalija
This is a discussion forum and you have twice, at considerable intervals, dropped in your suggestion to "test the water." Nothing at all wrong with that, as you have seen from the lively responses on both occasions, but when you were invited to elaborate or to comment further, there was merely silence on your part.
I was - probably still am - among the sceptics. After all, you have volunteered no information whatsover yourself despite requests from those who were keen to know more and, although that is your prerogative if you so choose, you can hardly be surprised to see a little bit of scorn as a result!
I can't see how we - or I at least - can remain anything but entirely sceptic. After all, if this Gibson chap, whom I now gather is fairly well known in the film world, is wondering whether or not to make a particular picture, surely he has ways of making up his mind other than anonymously canvassing a range of opinions from up to a couple of dozen individuals whom he's never met by inviting postings on a website???
Is that how they do things in Hollywood? Surely not, or they must be more daft than most of think already. Either this Gibson fellow has the courage of his convictions and he'll go ahead, or he hasn't and he won't. If, of course, he's heard about him himself.
No hurt feelings at all, I'm sure. Just sheer bafflement, reinforced even more now by a further dose of scepticism.
If it comes off, I'll eat my headring.
Peter |
| 28th March 2004 | Melvin Gibson
Peter
I appreciate your comments. Natalija is genuine, you can take my word for that. (She secretly wants the Miss Wit role).
It's just that I was feeling really indecisive, but now I'm not so sure ...
Mel
P.S. I think your headring's fairly safe. |
| 29th March 2004 | Edward Garcia
After " The Passion of the Christ" I don't think that Mel Gibson needs "Hollywood" for anyhting nor should the courage of his convictions be questioned. Right now he is the 800 pound gorilla and can do just about anything he wants - no question. |
| 29th March 2004 | Simon Copley
Nor can we be in any doubt that he won't shrink from showing the full horror of the mutilations and woundings (unless going for PG) |
| 29th March 2004 | Sheldon Hall
Before everyone gets carried away with yet more speculation on this dubious topic, I offer the following snippet from Jason Solomons' Trailer Trash column in "The Observer" (a respected Sunday newspaper, for non-British visitors to this forum) of 21 March - p. 7 of the Review section if you want to look it up (a brief reference was also made to this subject in the documentary about Gibson shown on the UK's Channel 4 last night):
"AfterThe Passion of The Christ, Mel Gibson wants to banish the (frankly ridiculous) accusations of ant-Semitism by making a film about the origins of the Jewish festival of Hannukkah. He has spoken of his interest in making The Revolt of The Maccabees, a tale of a band o Jewish resistance fighters - led by Judah Maccabee - who held out against attackers and liberated Jerusalem. Mel said: 'The story has always fired my imagination. They stuck by their guns and came out winning. It's like a western.' But the Jewish Anti-defamation League is on to him. National director Abe Foxman said: 'My answer would be, "Thanks, but no thanks". The last thing we need is for Jewish history to be turned into a Western.'"
So there - it looks like casting for a ZULU remake will have to remain an amusing parlour game for the time being. Unless Natailja knows differently, and is willing to identify a verifiable source for her own, apparently unique info, as I have done. Well, Natalija? |
| 29th March 2004 | Diana Blackwell
The above message by "Melvin Gibson" gives as his email address [email protected]. If Natalija and "Melvin Gibson" are intentionally trying to cast further doubt on an already-implausible idea, they're doing a good job. |
| 29th March 2004 | Ian
Well it's all clear now, Mel Gibson can play Mattathias ' The Shiv' Cohen & Jude 'The Hammer' Law can play Maccabee!
Joking apart it is a good topic to chose, lets see what they do to it! |
| 29th March 2004 | Arthur Bainbridge
will the new film have f words every other word or did British soldiers not swear then.Also i hope there are some latrine shots so it will have a contempory feeling as all dramas have toilet scenes now.The finishing off the wounded Zulu's would cause contrivesy |
| 29th March 2004 | Peter Ewart
Diana
As Melvin - or Mel - has purported to contribute more than once in the past (including on this thread) I thought I'd let him do so again, only as this (like the last one I presume) was tongue-in-cheek, I deemed it only fair to reveal the real source & therefore left my own address, concealing nothing.
I presume the previous message(s) from "Mel" were equally light-hearted, going by the address provided. I hadn't realised it might look as if he and Natalija were putting one over on me! On reflection, it probably wasn't an advisable spoof, in view of the experience you've had in the past with spurious postings.
However, to recapitulate, my position is exactly the same as yours - extremely sceptical unless and until anything more concrete than Natalija's offerings emerges. I think Edward's and Simon's postings above illustrate my point entirely - if he's the "800-pound gorilla" (what an expression! An expensive pet?) and also has the courage of his convictions, he's not going to send Natalija running to this list every 6 months, is he???
While the subject of his latest film has been mentioned, I've read three long and detailed reviews and two of them slammed it mercilessly. All three feared - like ZULU it appears - that the story as portrayed in the film is in danger of being accepted as "gospel" by an uninformed, gullible and easily impressed audience. Still, I haven't seen it so can't comment - but the Jews will and are.
Peter
P.S. Good on you, Arthur! I'd forgotten all about your latrines until you brought them up again. Next time "Hookie" won't come in, braces down, saying "I've been thinking" - we'll see him sitting there doing it. (The thinking, I mean). |
| 1st April 2004 | Marc Jung
Well, well done Natalija, you've set up a nice little forum here and got your 15 mins of fame! As for Mel Gibson, he's bound to make the Zulus the heroes (and there's owt wrong with that really is there!) |
| 2nd April 2004 | David Alan Gardner
Sheldon Hall
Re Mr Foxman of the ADL, perhaps Mel Gibson could do a film on him instead, a more than interesting story on a real live crook and bribery at the highest level in the US govt |
| 6th April 2004 | Joseph
I noticed that Natalija's email is a spoof on Vis a Vis or "face to face" funny how she dissappears when vis a vis becomes truth.
Joseph |
| 14th April 2004 | Megan
Personally, if this film is to take place then let it be done well. I dont care whos in it, as long as they can be honest and truthful and portray the events as they actually were. As a student of history and a descendant of a Rorkes drift VC holder, that is whats important to me. so lets hope for everone involved it doesnt end up another hollywood catastrophe with bad accents, and made up history. frankly i dont have much confidence in mel gibson after the patriot, what a rediculous take on events. however i hear the passion of the christ is well done.....But in all honesty, i think the battle of rorkes drift is not exactly the top of hollywoods most wanted story lines list. |
| 15th May 2004 | steve
gallipoli........nasty monacled brits get their just comeuppance from down underers...sorry...meant turks.
the patriot......nasty powdered wigged brits get their just comeuppance from freeloving colonial god fearing gentlfolk.....from down under in america.
braveheart.......nasty brits in chain mail receive their just comeuppance from gentle
farm loving scottish folk from down under.
so ,the remake, .....
nasty brits in bushy beards and tea stained hats receive their just comeuppance from democratic, freedom and peace loving native africans .....from down under.
if you use it mel, a percentage would be nice. |
| 14th December 2004 | Simon Copley
The Passion of the Christ
Nasty bearded Sanhedrin types and greasy italian style Rennaissance Romans receive their just come-uppance as fun-loving macho Messiah is resurrected from down under |
