Hollywood ‘Vultures’ Descend on Carancho Remake; Crazy Heart’s Scott Cooper Attached to Direct

You can now add Carancho to the list of successful Argentinean films receiving a Hollywood makeover. Last month, Billy Ray signed up to pen the remake for The Secret in Their Eyes. This month the remake rights to the Cannes Un Certain Regard selection and Argentina’s rep for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar are controlled by Fine Cut and Crazy Heart helmer, Scott Cooper, is attached to direct the remake and if Jeff Bridges isn’t busy this year, could easily step in the shoes of the protag that was played by Ricardo Darin. Scribe Aaron Stockard (Gone Baby Gone, The Town) penned the adaptation and Imagine Entertainment, together with producer Roy Lee, is working the pitch circuit. The original is rolling out in the US in early 2011 through Strand Releasing.

Gist: Looks like they selected the right scribe to infuse the thriller elements and a director who might get the intimacy between the two sexes. Inspired by Hollywood film noirs of old, Pablo Trapero’s Carancho is a thrilling expose of the unscrupulous lawyers, corrupt insurance agents and crooked hospitals that scam victims of the multitude of car accidents across Argentina. Carancho literally translates to a vulture-like bird of prey. Sosa (Darin) is an ambulance-chasing lawyer who works for a foundation that supposedly aids the victims, but, in fact, is the front for a shady law firm. He meets Lujan, a young doctor who works all hours in ambulances and hospitals, while trying to procure a new victim-client, and brings her into his spinning, out-of-control world.

Worth Noting: This is an interesting choice in directors and will certainly be a change of pace for Cooper – though he’ll likely create a powerful relationship between the new Sosa and Lujan similar to that of Bad Blake and Jean in Crazy Heart.

Do We Care?: Yes. It’s always a tad disappointing when solid foreign films require a remake to find a broader audience, but, as a consolation, maybe T. Bone Burnett will grace us with another awesome soundtrack!