Glen Powell is hoping to dominate the box office this coming weekend in Twisters, a sequel to the 1996 classic which starred Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton, and with his star currently on the rise in Hollywood, it seems everyone wants him for their next project. This includes Academy Award-winning producer and co-founder of Imagine Entertainment, Brian Grazer, who has revealed that Powell is attached to star in a remake of another 90s hit, the Ron Howard firefighter film Backdraft. Featuring an ensemble cast which included the likes of Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, and the late Donald Sutherland, Backdraft was an unexpected hit in 1991, earning $152 million at the box office and three Oscar nominations.
Appearing on CNBC to talk about the current state of Hollywood, Grazer – who has been in the business for more than 40 years and seen it all – was asked if people were really going back to the movies the same way they were pre-COVID. It was during his answer that Grazer slipped in the fact that not only is Backdraft in the works with Glen Powell attached to star, but also a movie based on his popular hit series from the early aughts that starred Kiefer Sutherland, 24.
“Imagine [Entertainment] has always played in that zone where there is that chance, high probability of chance, that it [a movie] will be successful in a movie theater. It’s great for us because we’ve built, over 30 years, over 100 different products – brands. Whether it’s Backdraft which I’m now going to do today with Glen Powell, or whether it’s 24, a movie that we’re going to do in a very interesting way with Disney-Fox.”
He would go on to explain the simple reasoning these days for streaming services and big studios to rely heavily on established brands to bring in audiences, rather than take a chance on new material which might not be as successful compared to something like a Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, or Barbie, which had brand awareness for more than 60 years before the Margot Robbie film became the smash hit of 2023.
“These formats of the late 90s, early 2000s have become very important because the streamers, or studios, are right now even more risk-averse. They like brands that are already established that people have a high level of awareness to, where you actually add a new twist, or really interesting casting, which is of course what we’re doing with ours. We’re doing something with Sidney Sweeny which I’m very excited about. We’re doing something with Scarlett Johansson, also very excited about that. I mentioned Glen Powell with Backdraft.”
AI and Digital Effects Could Lead to Backdraft Becoming a Hit Today
While Backdraft featured a mix of real flames combined with stunning visual effects in 1991 courtesy of Industrial Light & Magic, Grazer touched on the fact that in today’s world those effects could be even more impressive thanks to the advancement of AI and digital technology. When asked if the movie about a heroic band of firefighters would have the same success in 2024 as an original picture, Grazer didn’t hesitate to say that it would, due in part to the tools that the filmmakers of the 21st century have at their disposal which weren’t around 35 years ago.
“I think so, yes. AI and digital effects have so far advanced themselves that you can have tiny little cameras, almost imperceptible, that will capture the physics of a fire in a way that’s never been done before…Those are the advancements and benefits of AI and digital effects.”
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While no official word from any particular studio has come down that either a remake or legacy sequel to Backdraft is officially on the table with Powell tapped to star, with the weight of Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Imagine Entertainment behind the idea, there’s a high probability that audiences will one again be taken into the fire at some point in the near future. We’ll have more news on Backdraft and a potential 24 movie as details become available.
Backdraft
is currently available to rent or purchase on all VOD platforms.