Justin Lin, who broke out in 2003 with the strong Sundance entry Better Luck Tomorrow, has directed six Fast & Furious movies, but he recently quit—not just because Vin Diesel was acting like a douche toward him, but no doubt to cleanse his artistic soul.
Sadly, Lin’s indie comeback, “The Last Days,” premiered at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival, and got panned by critics (29% on Rotten Tomatoes). What could Lin’s nect move possibly be? How about teaming up with Sydney Sweeney and butchering a French classic.
Sources tell Deadline that Apple is developing “That Man From Rio,” a film set to star Sweeney, with Lin attached as director. The film is described as a modern “reimagining” of the 1964 film of the same name. The script was written by Chase Palmer, and in addition to starring, Sweeney will serve as an executive producer.
The original, directed by Philippe de Broca, and which starred Jean-Paul Belmondo and Françoise Dorléac, followed a young private on military leave who embarks on a daring mission to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend in Rio de Janeiro, leading to a thrilling adventure. The 1964 film was highly influential, inspiring directors like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, who later cited it as one of the inspirations for the creation of Indiana Jones.
As far as I’m concerned Lin’s remake sounds like nightmare fuel. De Brocca’s ‘Man from Rio’ is pure, unrestrained cinematic joy— the exotic locales, dizzying chase scenes, and Jean-Paul Belmondo’s charisma. There’s just so much contagious energy, and mischief in this film, and I cringe just thinking about Lin’s kinetic and soulless action destroying the essence of de Broca’s classic.
Lin actually has another project with Apple, “Two for the Money,” this one starring Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig. It’s a heist thriller that sparked a massive bidding war back in late 2023. There have been no updates since Apple acquired it. Have Theron and Craig left the project? I wouldn’t be surprised—especially if they caught a glimpse of “The Last Days,” which I painstakingly sat through earlier this year.
I honestly don’t even know if ‘Man From Rio’ will ever see the light of day. Sweeney has an inordinate amount of projects on her plate, including “Gundam,” “OutRun,” “Split Fiction,” “I Pretended to be a Missing Girl,” “Scandalous,” and most important of all, Edgar Wright’s remake of “Barbarella.”