Spike Lee’s ‘Old Boy’ finds a U.S. home

“Old Boy,” Spike Lee’s reimagining of the South Korean hit and Cannes winner, will come to U.S. theaters in 2013.

Film District has acquired domestic rights to the upcoming production and announced a release date for next year. Lee begins shooting the film this fall in Louisiana and New York, offering a new spin on Chan Wook-Park’s revenge thriller.

Josh Brolin, Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen and Samuel L. Jackson star in the film, which centers on a man (Brolin) bent on revenge after being held in captivity for many years.

The original attracted attention for its violent themes and scenes, and Lee and producers have said that in some respects this movie will go even darker. FilmDistrict has a history of releasing auteur-driven tales of violence, bringing out Nicolas Refn’s “Drive” last year.

The company, headed by former Sony executive Peter Schlessel, announced the pickup at the start of the Toronto International Film Festival, where Lee has a new film about Michael Jackson titled “Bad 25.”

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