Kiefer Sutherland to join FLATLINERS reboot

Not a week goes by when we do not hear news about a studio wanting to reboot some old film or franchise to the modern age. And its early in the week and we have more news of another reboot happening. This time of Sony Pictures, resurrecting 1990 classic Flatliners. News of this reboot actually isn’t new, but its been so long since we last heard about it, that we might as well treat it as such. The original movie featured a group of medical students who experimented with death, by ‘flat lining’ (essentially dying) and reviving themselves. It was one of the year’s best films and featured a great cast that have all stood the test of time. The script dealt with a lot of clever, heavy topics and the psychological toll that their ‘fun’ takes on their characters.

The original Flatliners was directed by Joel Schumacher and written by Peter Filardi. The film starred the exciting and – at the time, young – talents of Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, William Baldwin, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Bacon.

But what is also quite exciting about this reboot is that they’ve secured one of the film’s original cast members in Kiefer Sutherland, who is reportedly going to be playing the role of a “seasoned doctor” in the film. Not much more is known about the role or whether they will tell the story from a completely fresh perspective or in some way try and tie it into the events of the first film  – which could involve Sutherland’s character. I guess we will have to wait until more is revealed to see what exactly Sutherland’s role will end up being.

The new take on the story will be directed by Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), with the screenplay written by Source Code writer Ben Ripley. Adding to all this is a talented cast as well with Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton and Kiersey Clemons all starring in the main roles of the film. They might not be big names if we compare to that original cast listing, but it’s important to remember that the cast weren’t that huge back then as they are now, so we could be seeing some future superstars if it all goes the same direction as the first.

Honestly, while I’m not a fan of reboots, they certainly have a lot of great people behind this one and the original film is old enough to warrant an additional treatment, provided they can do their own thing to the script and not rely on the magic of the first too much.

For those who never watched the original, you can read quite a detailed summary of the films synopsis below:

At University Hospital School of Medicine, a group of ambitious medical students are about to die… and live to tell about it. Embarking on a daring and arrogant experiment, the five aim to push through the confines of life and touch the face of death.

Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland), the manipulative, fame-seeking initiator of the project, has recruited Rachel Mannus (Julia Roberts), a self-made expert in the field of death; David Labraccio (Kevin Bacon), an idealistic yet pragmatic student suspended from med school; ladies’ man Joe Hurley (William Baldwin); and the brilliant yet self-absorbed Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt) to venture into a frontier that until now had been the exclusive province of religion and philosophy.

Their chilling, secret experiment to see what lies beyond life involves taking turns stopping their hearts until the monitors reading their vital signs indicate nothing but flat lines. Moments later, the other team members, armed with an array of medical equipment, step in to revive them. In their search for knowledge, however, the five discover the profound consequences of daring to tamper with immortality. Returning from their peek at the afterlife, the students bring back manifestations of their past sins, something they had not bargained for. Forced to deal with their previous transgressions here in the present, the participants learn about life as well as death.

Last Updated: July 12, 2016