""Lost in Space�f remake" Topic

"For those eagerly awaiting any news about Neflix�fs �eLost in Space�f remake, we have a juicy new piece of casting news! It seems they have cast 90s indie movie darling Parker Posey in a major role in the series, as she will be playing the villainous Dr. Smith. For those unaware of the who exactly the character is, in the original 1960�Œs version of the show, Dr. Smith is the man responsible for sabotaging the family�fs mission to space, as he was aboard their ship, the Jupiter 2, when it takes flight, and he set them off course and gets them, �glost in space�h. And then in the main part of the series, Dr. Smith is a kind of a foil for Dr. Robinson, a mischievous man stuck with the family who is always getting into nefarious situations and sets many of the plots of the show in motion.

And yes, I did not type that wrong, Dr. Smith in the original was a man, which makes casting Parker Posey in the role even more interesting, as gender swapping of any kind in a movie or TV show can raise some eyebrows, but in this case I do not really think it will matter all that much. There was not anything about the character demanding that the doctor be a male, and I could definitely see Posey playing an excellent version of the character, and it kind of makes me excited to know that Netflix is casting the best possible talent for the show, and is not limiting itself to the original vision of the characters from the TV show or the poorly received 90�Œs film, where Gary Oldman played Dr. Smith…"
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Amicalement
Armand

A long time ago, I had a friend who was working on a script treatment for a LiS remake and he asked me how I would handle the Doctor Smith character.

I suggested that Doctor Smith would start out as Will Robinson's stock virtual playmate/educator that he outdistanced and then started modifying when he very young (the kid's a genius after all). Sometime before the launch of the Jupiter 2, some malware from a foreign power is uploaded to Doctor Smith who then tries to sabotage the Jupiter 2 and fails.

After the Jupiter 2 docks with the alien space station as seen in the original pilot, Will discovers an interstellar department store machine (as seen in later episodes of the original series) and uses it to create a synthetic flesh and blood Doctor Smith.

Because Doctor Smith is 'alive' and has some useful skills (medical and environmental systems), he's not left behind. But he does want to return to Earth because he rejects the idea that he's an artificial being and he believes the Robinsons have suffered some kind of mass delusion caused by 'freezer burn' (suspended animation damage).

I don't know if anybody ever looked at the script treatment.

Oh, the pain the pain.

I don't see them finding anyone as obnoxious as the original Dr. Smith was. His character and performance was a classic, IMO.

Another remake?

Again, the writers/directors/producers/media companies should be fired/deep-sixed, for being completely unable to come up with an original idea.

We can only hope the ship blows up on the launch pad, putting a quick and merciful end to an almost certain failure.

Surely there's scope for decent SF versions of classics--witness "Robinson Crusoe on Mars". Swiss Family Robinson is a good possibility--but "Lost in Space" isn't the template. A good film (or series) about a disparate group of stranded Starship passengers could be interesting,but I wouldn't look forward to "Gilligan's Planet".

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

I suppose a silly question is why the need or desire to change a great male character into a female one.

I assume you meant "grating" male character there?

Although it hardly narrows it down – as the entire cast grated most of the time.

I suppose a silly question is why the need or desire to change a great male character into a female one.

Because they can.

The vanity of almost all film and TV people is they want to make their own mark (which is understandable). The failing, however, is that the mark the (very often) talentless hacks make is inevitably unoriginal and pointless. See discussions on Star Trek Discovery.

This will tank, I suspect, but I don't care too much as it's not a thing I have ever invested much heart into. Beyond the first couple of episodes where they played it quite seriously, as soon as they got into mid first season it was all down the tubes anyway.

And while the idiots are remaking this, maybe they'll leave alone things I really care about!

It's real shame we can't get JJA involved in this. Or Peter Jackson.

Or both of them….

John T

Surely there's scope for decent SF versions of classics--witness "Robinson Crusoe on Mars".

That is maybe my favorite cult movie of all time. But if I had some money, I'd CGI those reused George Pal Martian war machines out of the film and replace them with the flying saucers the screenwriters originally had in mind.