The 1950s were a great time for Western movies, and High Noon ranked among the most popular entries, starring Gary Cooper as Marshall Will Kane and Grace Kelly as Amy Fowler Kane, among others. Nowadays, the Western genre isn't nearly the powerhouse it once was, which is why the newly-announced High Noon remake will be taking a different approach with its story.
Opting for a contemporary tale rather than taking a journey through the Old West again, THR dropped the news that the High Noon remake will be set in the present day along the "cartel-controlled U.S.-Mexico border." Relativity Studios will produce, finance and distribute the movie, making this their first project following their recovery from bankruptcy. Relativity secured the High Noon rights from Karen Kramer, widow of Stanley Kramer, one of the producers on the original movie, and she will serve as one of the executive producers. The remake doesn't have a writer or director attached, but Relativity is moving quickly to secure its creative talent, as this is a "priority" for them.
The original High Noon told the story of Will Kane, a marshall in the New Mexico territory who was getting ready to turn in his badge and make a new life for himself elsewhere with his wife to start a family. Unfortunately for Will, those plans were put on hold when Frank Miller, an outlaw he put away years ago, is released from prison and comes to town for revenge. While he could have easily left town and put that mess behind him, Will instead stays and prepares for the showdown with his adversary. This Relativity remake won't be the first time that High Noon has been revisited. A TV sequel called High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane was aired on CBS in 1980 (albeit with Lee Majors and Katherine Cannon playing Will and Amy, respectively), and TBS made a TV movie remake in 2000 with Tom Skerritt as the lead.
Even though there weren't any specific plot details reported, I'm getting a Sicario vibe from the High Noon remake. Choosing to set this movie in the present day is definitely a wise movie in terms of distinguishing it from its predecessor. However, it also sounds like this story will be more intricate than the 1952 High Noon, at least in terms of what this marshall, whether it's Will or someone else, has to face. The fact that they mention the "cartel" suggests that the criminals will be lowlifes from the drug world. Depending on whether this marshall will be fending off one bad guy or several, there could also be similarities with the 2013 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie The Last Stand.
We'll keep you apprised of how the High Noon remake is progressing as more news comes in, but in the meantime, let us know what you think of this new take in the comments below.
