Don't think it will ever happen, a remake of Superfly? Think about the movie and its time period. The only way this could ever make it to screen is to have it set in 1972 with the cars & clothing and styles of the era.
Understand that Superfly was a benchmark in movies (and blaxploitation films in particular).
Priest's ride (his LD/hog) the "threads" and the entire lifestyle of a strong, smart street hustler/drug dealer hadn't been shown and even glorified on the screen before. Yes Shaft came out a year earlier but wasn't even coming from the same direction as SF. This was the first time a realistic view of life on the streets of blacks was shown, with all the grit and violence too. This was a movie that Hollywood would of NEVER made, remember the film was done on a budget of $200,00 grand and took in more than $2 mil playing in small black neighborhoods without a major distributor. The realization that there was a market for this type of story or movie made tinseltown stand up and take notice. Thr term blaxplotation came about BECAUSE of this film. Big studio hopped on the bandwagon and started craking out films for the black market for the quick buck.
Part of the charm and "look" of the film is due to the tight budget and less than professional photo work...I doubt that grity look could or should be recreated. Putting a slick "over the top" Hollywood production on the story would ruin it forever.
Plus, the story, however fresh it was in '72 has been told...both for its time and MANY times since. For example theres Boyz N the Hood, Menace II Society, New Jack City and many more...really they're just variations of the Superfly tale updated for our changes in time.
Let's hope for Denzel, and out of respect for the talent of the late Ron O'Neal, the powers that be leave Superfly to the ages and not remake it.
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riversja2001
21 years ago
Touche! I couldn't agree with you more. Let's hope this rumor is not true. Denzel comes from the generation where we tend to have respect for "back in the day". I agree that out of respect for the talent of the late Ron O'Neal, that he and the powers that be leave that project alone.
I cannot imagine trying to recapture the essence and time of that masterpiece. Personally, I think it should have been listed on America's Top 100 movies of all time list, because of what it stood for in the realm of the movie industry, the realism it portrayed, and the messages that Mr. O'Neal conveyed in his commanding performance. During an interview about three years ago, I heard Mr. O'neal say that he did not apologize for taking the role, said he to the interviewer, "If I had not taken the role, would we be talking right now?"
Please, Denzel, leave well enough alone!
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aldrears1
18 years ago
Gumb I could not have said it any better. THERE IS NO REMAKING SUPERFLY! The film is just to iconic in so many respects. Now, while everyone knows that the soundtrack is one of the greatest ever, I want to applaud Ron O'Neal's performance. I put his portrayal of Priest right up there with Brando's Don Corleone and Pacino's Tony Montana-and De Niro's Travis Bickle as one of the best screen performances ever.
Most people don't know that Ron O'Neal was a theater trained actor who honed his craft at Karambu( I believe that's the name) theater in Cleveland Ohio. He is one of cinema's great actors who never got his due, and that really upsets me.
I hope he's in heaven with his Maxi coat checking out my man Curtis Mayfield singing Pusherman. It's hard for many people to understand how influential this film was, is, and will continue to be. Obviously you do.
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