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Werner Herzog is planning to remake The Bad Lieutenant, the gritty 1992 movie about a drug and sex addicted corrupt cop for Nu image/ Millemium films. Nicolas Cage is taking up the lead role played by Harvey Keitel. The original was directed by Abel Ferrera, who started off with exploitation films and moved on to controversial but acclaimed flicks such as this one. I have not seen the movie but I saw it mentioned in a list of the 25 most dangerous movies in the Premiere magazine, along with the likes of Happiness, Requiem for a Dream and The Sweet Hereafter. And Harvey Keitel’s performance was described as one of the great screen performances of recent years by Roger Ebert.

Herzog is known as much for his eccentricities on movie sets as for his powerful, stunning movies (Aguirre, the Wrath of God, Fitzcarraldo). What will he do with a movie which is already an uncompromising portrayal of a destroyed soul. And Nicolas Cage, the actor, has been missing for quite some time. He has indulged his superhero fantasies in popcorn movies such as the National Treasure films and Ghost Rider. A Herzog movie might just be the proper stage for him to rediscover his acting chops.

The new version is being scripted by Billy Finkelstein, who has written on TV for Law and Order and NYPD Blue among other shows. Experience in scripting procedurals is not exactly required here. Also, the movie might be too recent to remake. But then with Herzog at the helm of affairs we can surely expect something more than a watered down rehash.

Nicolas Cage is currently shooting for Knowing in Australia, for Alex Proyas.

(Source: Variety)