Danish provocateur Nicolas
Winding Refn and Maniac Cop director
William Lustig have had a steady rapport for years, going back to when Lustig
first sought out Refn’s crime drama Pusher
who went as far as mediating an audio commentary with Refn for the now
out-of-print Anchor Bay DVD.
Subsequently in Refn’s next feature Bleeder,
the director prominently featured clips from Lustig’s two features Vigilante and Maniac in two pivotal scenes.
Which brings us to the news
that HBO, probably having seen the wonderment that is Too Old to Die Young on Amazon Prime, has gone ahead and greenlit a
television miniseries remake of one of Lustig’s most celebrated films: Maniac Cop. The story of an undead cop come back to life
seeking vengeance on the world featured such B-movie icons as Bruce Campbell
and Robert Z’Dar and in the years since it’s 1988 release has taken on the
status of a bona fide cult gem.
Though no cast has been set
yet, word on the street is that Refn will be the showrunner, directing the
whole series as he did with Too Old to
Die Young, with director John Hyams working alongside him. The passion project has been one Refn has
been chipping away at for years with previous plans to make it into a feature
film with Hyams directing back in 2017 before it was reshaped into a
series. Promotional posters have also
been aired by Wild Bunch and Canal+ for the impending French release.
As for me personally, Too Old to Die Young has been the gift
that keeps on giving for 2019 and is arguably my favorite Refn work. Sadly however, the range of the audience it
reached was tragically limited, making it a strangely clandestine offering that
wowed the few who waded through its 13-hour odyssey of crime and horror.
Striking a deal with HBO, on
the other hand, is a huge development for Refn’s recent foray onto the small
screen and represents a most exciting turn for fans of the
writer-director. Though a remake, the
program has Lustig’s full blessing and endorsement and given the two have been
friends for years, this is very exciting news for horror, Lustig and Refn fans
eager to see these two icons of horror and neo-noir make beautiful music
together! #byNWR all the way!
--Andrew Kotwici