“You Can’t Make a Game Out of Real Murder”

When The Rap Sheet last checked in on the forthcoming remake of that favorite 1972 movie Sleuth, we could report that this second big-screen adaptation of Anthony Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning play would star Jude Law and Michael Caine--the latter of whom co-starred in that ’72 version, but is this time playing the role occupied in the original by Sir Laurence Olivier. Six months later, however, we can finally send you off to scrutinize the trailer for this new Sleuth. Click here to watch.

What’s fun, is to compare this trailer with that of the original film, available here. As Cinematical’s Monika Bartyzel observes, the remake is very stylish and modern-looking, and offers modifications from the original. “Instead of a hairdresser, [Law’s character, Milo] Tindle is an actor who is having an affair with [detective novelist Andrew] Wyke’s wife. [Caine plays Wyke.] The pair strike an agreement that the young man can have the gal, if he follows Wyke’s instructions and steals some jewels. Of course, that isn’t the whole story and the old man isn’t a total pushover. Law and Caine look like they’re having good, chemistry-filled cinema fun together, and while I can do without all the fancy computer effects in the trailer, it looks like it has a good balance of dark humor and mysterious happenings.” What more could one want?

This Sleuth remake is scheduled for release in December. Which leaves us plenty of time to watch the original version again, before sitting down for the new one.