Variety reports that Simon West is in the driver’s seat for the remake of the 1986 film Heat which starred Burt Reynolds as an ex-mercenary, working as a bodyguard in Las Vegas and providing protection for his friends.

West will direct Jason Statham (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Crank) and Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) in the film adapted from the book. William Goldman wrote the book in 1985 and adapted it the for the screen in 1986. He will once again adapt his own story for the upcoming remake.

Goldman last wrote Dreamcatcher in 2003.

Watch this scene from the movie Heat (1986). If nothing else, skip to 6:50 for the weirdest action scene…

I can’t picture Statham in this role that Reynolds did first. Statham can act, for sure, but he’s been doing so many action movies on auto-pilot that I’m unsure if he even wants to anymore. It would be great if he re-focused in time for this movie, which appears to have a decent script, though I was not expecting this quote at 0:22:

“You will help me get his nuts in my hands.”

I’m happy that Vergara will be getting a serious role but that line of dialogue would be weird to hear Vergara say…especially since I’ve only ever seen her on Modern Family.

She should hang out with Bryan Cranston before doing this role. I don’t even remember what Hal from Malcolm in the Middle looks like…For those of you who don’t know, Bryan Cranston completely reinvented himself as an elite actor when he played Walter White, a meth dealer in AMC’s Breaking Bad, which began in 2008. Previously, he was only recognized as the goofy father on the 90s show: Malcolm in The Middle. 

Sofia Vergara is a great actress. I truly believe that, but unless she finds that career-altering role (which for Cranston was Walter White) she will only be remembered as the fiery latina on Modern Family. This may not be that role, but its got more depth to it than Jennifer Lopez’s character opposite Statham did in this year’s Parker.

SOURCE: Variety