Even though The Room (2003) had poor quality to its name, soon it became a cult classic. The film saw Tommy Wiseau as the writer, director, producer/executive producer as well as actor. And now, after two decades since its release, the cult classic will be getting a remake and it will star none other than Bob Odenkirk in the lead role.
While thanks to the original film, Tommy Wiseau became the center of attention due to his outlandish performance, Bob Odenkirk has other plans. Yes, he will be stepping into the shoes of Johnny, Tommy Wiseau’s character, but he will not be imitating the actor. Bob Odenkirk has made it pretty clear that if he’s going to do the film, he is going to do it his way.
Bob Odenkirk Won’t Imitate Tommy Wiseau
On March 09, Bob Odenkirk confirmed the rumors that he will in fact be starring in The Room remake, which will be directed by Brando Crawford. However, as he brings the character of Johnny to life after twenty years, the question arises whether Odenkirk will be following Tommy Wiseau’s demeanor or not. Well, Odenkirk has himself answered this question.
The actor, while confirming his role on Twitter, stated that he will be doing his best to sell the line with as much authenticity as he can.
This is real. This is true. And let me tell you, I tried my best to SELL every line, as honestly as I could…and I had a BLAST https://t.co/v261E1DKnG
— Mr. Bob Odenkirk (@mrbobodenkirk) March 9, 2023
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Odenkirk further elaborated on the upcoming project stating that he will not be mocking Wiseau’s performance in the 2003 original. Instead, the remake will see Odenkirk putting his own spin on Johnny.
“I’m not mocking Tommy’s performance or even mocking the script. I’m going, ‘This is your script. Bob Odenkirk, this is your part. How are you going to make it real and make it feel legit?'”
Next, Odenkirk revealed that the film will be using green screens and might even have the actual backdrops from the movie. The Better Call Saul actor added that instead of doing it like Wiseau, he wanted to try and sell the film to the audience as himself, and not imitate the original actor’s performance. He continued that while he would not be changing up the lines in the script, he sure will be doing it in his own way.
“We’re doing green screen, and I think they’re going to use the actual backdrops of the movie-still frames to put backdrops behind us. I said, ‘Can I just do it as though I, Bob Odenkirk, got the part — and my job is to try to sell you on it and do it as well as I can?’ I don’t change the lines, but I do them my own way, in a way that hopefully feels legit and real. And I think I pulled it off some, and then there are scenes that I just couldn’t. You just can’t make them legitimate. I mean, they’re insane. The things that people are saying are so insane!”
Taking everything Odenkirk has said into consideration, it looks like the remake is going to be a blast to watch! We do wonder how the actor is going to make the role his very own. Even though The Room wasn’t received well at first, it did earn a huge following in the later years. Can the remake live up to that?
Bob Odenkirk’s The Room Remake is for Charity
The remake of one of the strangest films in Hollywood is the work of the all-volunteer organization, Acting For a Cause. The organization, which Crawford is a part of, is responsible for putting out Zoom-style table readings of classics for charity. The Room’s remake will be benefitting amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. Given the fact that the organization usually does live reads of plays and movies, it sure is a big thing to see The Room’s remake actually get made in front of a green screen.
Odenkirk himself is ecstatic about the project, stating that he hopes people who watch the film are actually touched by the performances and the film. He stated,
“My dream is that you watch it, and even just for one or two scenes, you go, ‘Wow, okay! That’s a real movie, I’d watch that! You just think for one second, ‘Am I watching a genuine performance and am I actually a little bit touched by The Room?'”
Odenkirk also added that he had fun filming and that he hopes all that work can raise some serious money for the benefit of the charity. As of now, there is no release date set for the remake.
The Room (2003) is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
