Before you get all upset (like I did) about the lack of original ideas in Hollywood or the fact that we haven’t reached the point of saturation for reboots yet, keep in mind that a remake of the 1990Joel SchumacherfilmFlatlinershas been in the works for a few years now. The bad news for folks who hate reboots is thatEllen Pageis now being reported as being in talks to join the newly reimagined sci-fi project. Page is great; this just means the film is one step closer to becoming a real thing.
Varietybrings word that Page may star in directorNiels Arden Oplev’sversion ofFlatliners, likely stepping into the role previously played byJulia Robertsif the gender divide and characters are kept the same. Also starringKevin Bacon,Kiefer Sutherland,Oliver Platt, andWilliam Baldwin,Flatlinerscentered on a team of medical students who were experimenting with near-death experiences in order to get a glimpse of the other side. Once revived, they find that they inadvertently begin to bring their sins with them in very real, but very different manifestations.
I’ll admit,Flatlinershad an interesting premise, one worthy ofClive Barker’simagination, but Schumacher’s take didn’t make a great impression on me. Perhaps Arden Oplev, best known as director of the Swedish version ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, will be able to take advantage of modern-day filmmaking technology to better bringFlatlinersto life … so to speak. It will be interesting to see if Page, who has similar experience playing a character who dives into various dream worlds inChristopher Nolan’sInception, officially signs on for the role; more interesting still is what kind of character the filmmakers have crafted for her. She recently starred in both the sci-fi dramaInto the Forest, and the gay rights biopicFreeheld.
Watch the trailer for the 1990 version ofFlatlinersbelow, which features one of the best taglines you’lleverhere:
For more on theFlatlinersremake, be sure to check out our coverage provided at the links below:
