WTF News of the Day: Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke and 50 Cent to Star in Remake of French Thriller "13 Tzameti"

By: Adam Quigley Posted: October 21, 2008 Filed under: Casting, Official Info

Let's go over some basic math.

Jason Statham = Awesome.

Mickey Rourke = Awesome.

Jason Statham + Mickey Rourke = Nut-Smashingly Awesome.

Add in Sam Riley, an actor who earned high praise for his portrayal of Ian Curtis (the singer of Joy Division) in Control, and you have yourself an unstoppable acting trio reaching such varying levels of utter awesomeness that the only way you could not be excited about them starring in a thriller together is if you're adamantly against having your face rocked off.

Now watch as I take that formula and, in one foul swoop, turn it into a mind-fuck of a spectacular proportions.

Statham & Rourke & Riley + remake of slow-burn foreign dramatic thriller 13 Tzameti + 50 Cent...

What does that equal exactly? I have absolutely no idea.

What's even odder about this news is that the remake, titled simply 13, is being helmed by the writer/director of the original film, Géla Babluani. My response: "Huh?" I'm all for foreign filmmakers wanting to open up their films to a more mainstream U.S. audience, but as proven by Bangkok Dangerous, Funny Games, Just Visiting and (in a sense) The Ring Two, remaking the same films that garnered them popularity overseas usually isn't the way to go.

For those unfamiliar with the original movie (which you shouldn't be, since it's an excellent Hitchcockian thriller that completely catches you off guard in the third act – not unlike this news story, ironically), its storyline follows a destitute young man who steals an envelope thinking it contains instructions for a job but instead finds himself forced to endure a series of Russian roulette games.

Honestly, I don't know whether to be thrilled or horrified by this news, but I can safely say I'm taken aback. If Babluani intends on keeping this remake in the same vein as the original, which I find unlikely to at least some degree considering 13 Tzameti is a black-and-white thriller that has absolutely nothing "thrilling" happen for the first 45 minutes or so (not exactly a prime candidate for a Hollywood remake), the casting of Jason Statham (an actor who has almost nothing on his resume but ridiculously over-the-top action films) is a little bizarre, and that's without even mentioning the highly questionable prescence of rapper-turned-actor 50 Cent.

In trying to remember the original film, however, there are specific roles I can absolutely see all of these actors playing, with Sam Riley an almost guaranteed lock for the lead role. As things stand right now, I'm both curious about and somewhat hesitant toward the direction this remake seems to be heading, but hopefully more information will arrive soon that'll put my fears to rest.