With Colin Firth out, Clive Owen now offered a villainous role in Oldboy?

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

If this pans out, I already favor the replacement…

Twitch is reporting that, in the wake of Colin Firth officially passing on OLDBOY, the great Clive Owen has been offered a villainous role in the Spike Lee remake. No deal has been reached, as we’re not even sure Clive would be interested, but if anyone can lure him in, it’s Lee. Remember, the two worked together on THE INSIDE MAN just a few years ago. That was a pretty solid flick, so if Owen signs on, we can rest a bit easier knowing OLDBOY won’t be a complete f*cking travesty.

So, file this one under the “what if” category…at least until we hear something more concrete. We can dream the deal goes through, at least I will. I think Owen would do an even better job than Firth…the former has a menacing cool that the latter just doesn’t seem to possess. Hopefully Spike sells Clive pretty damn hard!

In the original OLDBOY:

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.

Owen’s INTRUDERS co-star Carice Van Houten