AICN has this bit about the upcoming remake (or, as they put it, "re-imagining") of Escape to Witch Mountain:
Huh. That is definately a reimagining, seeing as the aliens of the original films (who were escaping their own dying planet) were recluses who didn't seem to have much concern for or interaction with earth folks. I always got the idea that they were kind of like the "socially evolved" types that folks like Carl Sagan assume technologically advanced aliens would be. Not that I agree with that supposition (in fact, I rather doubt that would be the case given mankind's own experience with technology), but the new film's take on the aliens is definately different if not completely opposite of the original films.
This iteration is about a Las Vegas cab driver who ends up helping two human-looking-but-alien kids get to their spaceship so they can convince their people not to clobber Earth.
Huh. That is definately a reimagining, seeing as the aliens of the original films (who were escaping their own dying planet) were recluses who didn't seem to have much concern for or interaction with earth folks. I always got the idea that they were kind of like the "socially evolved" types that folks like Carl Sagan assume technologically advanced aliens would be. Not that I agree with that supposition (in fact, I rather doubt that would be the case given mankind's own experience with technology), but the new film's take on the aliens is definately different if not completely opposite of the original films. On another note and for what it's worth, the man who helps the children get back to their people in the original novel is an inner-city priest. I'd forgetten that until I read through Wikipedia's summary of the novel. Heh, that made me go searching for the novel (which I acquired as a child) in my nine-year-old daughter's room, but that turned out to be an impossible task (she takes after me, I'm afraid). In the original film, the priest's character was changed to a crusty widower (who softens and regains a purpose in life through his encounter with the children). For more on who this character will be in the upcoming film, go here.
(Image: Disney)