Looks like Colin Firth won’t be the Oldboy villain for Spike Lee after-all

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

As disappointing as it is, I can’t really say it’s all that shocking.

Twitch is reporting Colin Firth has passed on playing one of the primary assailant in Spike Lee’s remolding of OLDBOY. As you know, Firth was offered the part last month but confirmation was coyly offered from Firth himself while out promoting TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.

Now, I for one I’m not at all shocked Firth passed on this. If he passed on Chan-wook Park’s STOKER – an original – why would he sign up for OLDBOY, a remake? Besides, how many times do you see an actor win the top Academy award then dive headlong into a genre movie? How many genre movies has Firth starred in period? All of these factors struck me on first blush, so again, I’m not the least bit surprised Firth has passed on OLD BOY. If anything though, he may regret not opting to torment the piss out of Josh Brolin. Could be a lot of fun he’s missing.

An OLDBOY reminder:

Oh Dae-su is an ordinary Seoul businessman with wife and little daughter who, after a drunken night on the town, is abducted and locked up in a strange and private “prison.” No one will tell him why he’s there and who his jailer is. His fury builds to a single-minded focus of revenge. 15 years later, he is unexpectedly freed, given a new suit, a cell-phone and 5 days to discover the mysterious enemy who had him imprisoned. Seeking vengeance on all those involved, he soon finds that his enemy’s tortures are just beginning.

Svetlana Khodchenkova appears in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY