I’m in the crowd that generally doesn’t like remakes. That being said, sometimes a writer/director signs on for a remake and it just feels right. Such was the case when Joe Carnahan (The Grey, The A-Team) signed up for Death Wish.

The original was a gritty 70s flick starring Charles Bronson as an NYC architect who turns vigilante when his wife and child are murdered by some street punks. In Carnahan’s version the basic plot was the same, but the action was moved to LA.

There was a lot of speculation on who Carnahan was going to cast in the lead. Some people (myself included) were hoping he’d go with Liam Neeson, but it seemed Carnahan was leaning towards Frank Grillo, which would have also been awesome. Paramount and MGM, however, had other plans, and therein lies the problem.

Apparently the studios want Bruce Willis to take the lead, which I have absolutely no problem with, but Carnahan wants someone else. The end result? Caranhan is leaving the project.

Does this mean Carnahan is anti-Willis? Not at all. It just means Carnahan has a different vision for the film.

The remake will probably still happen, but not with Carnahan.

SOURCE: Deadline