Movies News Talk
The often overlooked 1985 science fiction failure Enemy Mine is coming back on film in a brand-new Remake, and there are already fascinating developments about Hollywood's most recent interpretation of the venerable tale. Inspired by Barry B. Longyear's eponymous novella, Enemy Mine is set in a future in which humans are at war with a reptile race of aliens called the Drac. Human pilot Willis (Dennis Quaid) must create an unusual alliance to survive his ordeal after becoming caught on a dangerous planet with a Drac named Shigan.
Published at the height of the '80s blockbuster boom, Enemy Mine was a certified financial flop with poor reviews when it barely brought in a fraction of its budget. Though it falls short in terms of technique, the popcorn flick has since become a treasured 1980s cult classic and among many Hollywood films that pique viewers' imaginations even now. Hollywood is now once more revisiting Longyear's ageless Sci-fi tale with hopes that a contemporary remake can address the problems afflicting the first Enemy Mine.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, it was stated in June 2024 that the underappreciated Sci-fi movie Enemy Mine would have a Remake meant to fix many of the original's flaws. Though not much is known about the next movie, Terry Matalas, a frequent TV scribe and director who just oversaw the third season of Star Trek: Picard, is expected to write the screenplay. Matalas is not attached to direct the movie for now, although no person has been proposed to cover that position just yet.
On Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, and YouTube, Enemy Mine is rent-able or purchase ready. Given little currently known about the remake's approach to Barry B. Longyear's original narrative, one cannot precisely estimate how the film will be accepted. Conversely, the Enemy Mine remake has the chance to stand out from other well-known sci-fi remakes since it could appeal to an audience devoid of expectations since they most certainly haven't watched the original. Given the Movie is still in very early development, cast members and particular specifics will most likely not be published right away.
Little is known about the behind-the-scenes staff as Enemy Mine is still under early development. But a writer is already committed to the project; Terry Matalas, a TV writer and director familiar with the science fiction genre, is highlighted here. Matalas is a veteran of genre television with credits on shows including McGyver and Star Trek: Voyager; maybe most identifiable in recent years for his work as showrunner on seasons 2 and 3.
But one endeavor that makes Matalas especially fit for writing responsibilities on the Enemy Mine remake is his work on the 12 Monkeys TV series. Though it is a replication of the 1995 Movie, the 12 Monkeys series enhanced the legacy of the original movie and gave an already-popular subject fresh angles. On the show, Matalas was a one-man band covering writer, director, producer, showrunner, and even creator.
Since Barry B. Longyear's original novella is mostly about trust and cooperation, these themes will also probably be maintained.
Terry Matalas is hard at work writing the script for the Enemy Mine remake; it is unknown exactly what the scenario will be. Since it is a remake, it is expected, nonetheless, that film would follow human pilot Willis as he discovers himself imprisoned on an alien planet alongside Shigan, a member of an enemy extraterrestrial race he is sworn enemy against. Though Barry B. Longyear's original book revolves on trust and cooperation, everything else is somewhat vague. Still, these ideas will probably endure.
Longyear also wrote other tales that follow Enemy Mine, and the forthcoming remake might include certain elements into the narrative to signal a fresh series. His follow-ups, The Tomorrow Testament, and The Last Enemy highlight the more general conflict between the humans and the Drac; by adding such elements, the Enemy Mine remake might surpass its original.
Promising idea with a fresh interpretation of a classic Sci-Fi narrative is the remake of Enemy Mine. Terry Matalas is leading the remake, which has the ability to expand on the original movie and investigate in a fresh and interesting manner the issues of cooperation, trust, and the human condition. Fans of the sci-fi genre as well as those wanting to see the Enemy Mine story reinterpreted for a next generation will find this to be a fascinating viewing.