A remake of A Fistful of Dollars, and therefore Yojimbo, is in the works

Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars starring Clint Eastwood is a classic. It solidified the spaghetti western genre, brought us Eastwood’s Man with no Name and it was a turning point for Ennio Morricone’s career.

It was a sneaky remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and a lawsuit by producer Toho was successful.

Since then both films have been referenced or remade in other films and TV shows. 1984’s The Warrior and the Sorceress moved it to a fantasy setting, while Walter Hill’s 1996 film, Last Man Standing, was set during the prohibition period of America. Some worked, some didn’t. I remember being so disappointed with Last Man Standing, but it may be time for a rewatch.

Deadline is reporting that there is a remake of A Fistful of Dollars in the works. It is from Euro Gang Entertainment, the company founded by Gianni Nunnari (300) and Simon Horsman (Magazine Dreams), alongside Enzo Sisti (Ripley) of FPC, and Rome-based Jolly Film, which produced the original movie.

It is still early days so there are not too many details at the moment. This would most likely be English-language but that hasn’t been confirmed by the team and a writer, start date and cast have yet to be revealed.

Sisti said: “I am delighted to partner with Gianni again having just worked with him on Those About to Die, and with Simon on the remake of this classic film, which created a whole new sub-genre in film spawning over 500 European westerns.”

Nunnari and Horsman added: “Enzo is one of the most experienced producers in the film business, and we are fortunate to call him our partner on this incredible project. We are determined to produce a remake that does justice to the great Sergio Leone’s classic.”

Now those of you who will inevitably say, “why another remake?” or “remakes never work” then you have missed the point that A Fistful of Dollars was an excellent remake of Yojimbo. Remakes can work, especially if they change the genre or setting of a film. However, I am not too sure about remaking it if it will simply be another Western. There needs to be something different about the setting for it to grab my attention.

Hopefully, there will be more information soon.

What would you want in the remake to have it work for you?