Another remake graces the silver screens as William Friedkin’s ‘The French Connection’ is set to be remade, this time starring the one and only, Keanu Reeves, a Hollywood icon. ‘The French Connection’, which premiered in 1971 was an action thriller that focused on the drug infused underworld in 1970s with two smart detectives in active pursuit of a French drug smuggler by the name, Alain Charnier. When detectives Jimmy ”Popeye” Doyle and Buddy “Cloudy” Russo get to know about a heroin smuggling taking place through television personality Henri Devereaux who is travelling to New York through ship, they gear up to catch the main instigator behind it, Alain Charnier. In a violent and intense chase that follows, the detectives ultimately fail to catch Charnier and the film end with a bittersweet tragedy.
Following its premiere, ‘The French Connection’ was an instant hit with it appearing in the list of ‘Best American Films’ by, the American Film Institute in 1998. The film was noted for its realistically shot car chases among other action sequences that are still remembered in the filmmaking community even today! Given that the movie was a cherished classic, winning several accolades, it is fitting for the movie to be remade once more.
William Friedkin and “Popeye”
William Friedkin was a talented filmmaker whose works reflect his skills in an exuberant manner. Starting his career through television shows and documentaries, William Friedkin had his feature film titled, ‘Good Times’, premiering in 1965, a musical comedy which starred Cher and Sonny Bono in lead roles. ‘The French Connection’ gave the filmmaker his first big break and popularized William Friedkin in all of Hollywood. His other renowned works include, ‘The Exorcist’, ‘Sorcerer’ and ‘The Guardian’, most of which falls under the horror genre. He is also often associated with the ‘New Hollywood’ film movement.
The upcoming remake can be seen as an ode to the filmmaker who unfortunately met his demise on 7 August 2023. Though not much is known regarding the upcoming feature film, Keanu Reeves will most likely take up the role of Jimmy ”Popeye” Doyle, the primary character of the original film who is described as a “a short-tempered alcoholic bigot who is nevertheless a hard-working and dedicated police officer” Seeing as how Jimmy ”Popeye” Doyle and Alain Charnier are arch nemesis’, it will be interesting to see who will be starring opposite to Keanu Reeves in the upcoming remake with the same title, given that Keanu Reeves accepts the role.
