A Fistful of Dollars, the classic spaghetti Western by Sergio Leone, is getting a remake by Euro Gang Entertainment.
Clint Eastwood starred in the original 1964 film, which is considered an unofficial version of Yojimbo, Akira Kurosawa’s iconic samurai movie that had been released in 1961. Kurosawa’s production company sued over copyright issues, delaying the North American release of A Fistful of Dollars until 1967.
A Fistful of Dollars narrated the travails of an unnamed gunfighter who takes advantage of the rivalry between two families in a Western town to advance his own agenda. It was quickly followed by two other films in the so-called Dollars Trilogy: For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966).
The synopsis for Leone’s original 1964 film read: “Wandering gunfighter Joe arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among sheriff John Baxter and the three Rojo brothers. When a regiment of Mexican soldiers bearing gold is waylaid by the Rojo brothers, Joe is hired by Esteban to join the gang, but he plays one side against the other.”
Producers for the upcoming remake include Gianni Nunnari and Simon Horsman of Euro Gang and Enzo Sisti of FPC. Also involved with the production is Jolly Film, which produced the 1964 classic. Most recently, Euro Gang and Sisti worked together on Those About to Die, a gladiator-themed television series that will debut later this month.
In announcing the remake, Sisti was quoted as saying: “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.”
Gianni Nunnari and Simon Horsman stated that “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 classic.”
Enzo Sisti most recently produced Ripley for Netflix and was an executive producer for Equalizer III with Denzel Washington. He had earlier worked on The Talented Mr. Ripley, The English Patient, and The Passion of the Christ.
Nunnari’s film credits include The Departed, Se7en, Immortals, and From Dusk Til Dawn. Horsman worked on Magazine Dreams, Rob Peace, and Hulu’s Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers.
No release date has been announced for the remake, and casting details are still unknown. It’s also unclear whether the upcoming firm will be in English. The original version of A Fistful of Dollars is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, AMC+, and Max.
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