Summary

• The 1985 Dennis Quaid cult sci-fi movie Enemy Mine is getting a remake.
• Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas is set to pen the screenplay for 20th Century Studios.
• The Wolfgang Petersen movie, which had a complicated production history, may be ripe for a remake.

1985's Enemy Mine is getting a remake. The Wolfgang Petersen movie was the director's first project after helming 1981's Das Boot and 1984's The NeverEnding Story. A co-production between the U.S., the U.K, and West , the sci-fi movie starred Dennis Quaid as human astronaut Willis Davidge, who becomes stranded on a planet with Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr.), a fighter from a reptilian enemy race known as the Drac. While fighting for their survival, they form an unlikely bond.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, a remake of Enemy Mine is in the works at 20th Century Studios. The screenplay is set to be written by Terry Matalas, the showrunner of the final season of Star Trek: Picard. Matalas' other writing experience is primarily in television, on small screen projects including Nikita and MacGyver as well as other sci-fi titles such as Star Trek: Enterprise, Terra Nova, and 12 Monkeys. He is not currently attached to direct, however, as no director has been formally announced.

Enemy Mine Could Be Ripe For A Remake

The Movie Was A Commercial & Critical Failure

If the Enemy Mine remake becomes a hit, it also comes with a ready-built franchise with plenty of room for expansion.

Enemy Mine had a rough production history. The sci-fi movie was initially set to be directed by Wimbledon’s Richard Loncraine, but clashes with producers led to him being removed from the project after just one week. When it was finally released, though it was popular in the Soviet Union, it was a commercial failure, only earning $12.3 million despite costing $40 million between its production budget and marketing expenses. At the time of writing, it also has a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score of 59%. However, there are many factors that make it ripe for a remake.

A $40 million price tag likely meant that Enemy Mine would have needed to make $80 million in order to break even.

Enemy Mine not being a huge hit could be a good thing for the remake. While its cult following gives the movie name recognition, it has a foundation that can still be improved on without the baggage that comes with remaking a universally beloved property. The themes of overcoming bigotry and working together can also be worked into a story that is moving and relevant for modern audiences. The fact that those tie in so well with the overall themes of the Star Trek franchise could also mean that Matalas is a great fit for the project.

If the Enemy Mine remake becomes a hit, it also comes with a ready-built franchise with plenty of room for expansion. The original movie was based on the 1979 novella of the same name by Barry B. Longyear. Because Longyear wrote two sequels in what was later called the Enemy Papers trilogy, there is a road map for where possible sequels could go. It remains to be seen if the remake is ever produced, let alone if it becomes a hit, but there is a good chance that it could become a force to be reckoned with down the road.

Source: THR