David Ayer signed on to write and direct Dirty Dozen remake

Robert Aldrich’s 1967 film Dirty Dozen remains a Word War 2 classic that few films have been able to live up to. The rag-tag story about a group of hard-edged army prisoners sent on a top-secret, nearly suicidal mission ahead of the Normandy invasion in return for pardons was one that was filled with great characters, loads of charisma, some amazing war scenes and the usual string of emotions that come with the realities of war. It’s no wonder that Hollywood wants to remake the film, seeing as so few films have been able to redo its formula.

And now we know exactly who Warner Bros is entrusting with this remake. Deadline is reporting that David Ayer has been hired to write and direct the remake with Simon Kinberg’s Genre Banner producing the film. According to the article, the film is described as being a contemporary re-imagining that features an appropriately multi-ethnic cast and bears a resemblance to Ayer’s scripts for The Fast and the Furious and Training Day, as far as tone and style goes. That’s a description which comes across as a little confusing considering how Training Day and Fast and the Furious have practically no resemblance between the two. Ah well.

Of course, Ayer is no stranger to making a movie about a team of misfit prisoners sent on a covert mission to save the world. That movie was DC’s Suicide Squad which was not exactly a glowing example of how films like this should be made though. However, before we all get too worried we have to remember that Ayer also made 2014 WWII tank film Fury, which was actually damned good and featured some compelling war scenes and amazing characters.

Ayer’s films work best when he isn’t pressured to make a big blockbuster though and so hopefully Warner Bros can stay clear of his work and allow him to make the movie he wants to make with a focus on realism over spectacle. If he can bring that to this remake and lean more towards the likes of Training Day, Fury and End of Watch for the script, this movie could provide great entertainment.

Last Updated: December 17, 2019