YARWDN: Clash of the Titans

It remains one of THE most formative films of my youth, so the idea of a remake has disgusted me - until news like this came along. It seems that Lawrence Kasdan is set to pen the remake of the 1981 cult Greek mythology classic "Clash of the Titans" for Warner Bros. Pictures says Reuters.

The story revolves around Zeus' son, Perseus, and his journey to save Princess Andromeda during which he must complete various tasks set out by Zeus, including capturing Pegasus and slaying Medusa.

Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Claire Bloom, Susan Fleetwood, Siân Phillips and Burgess Meredith all starred in the original. The project marked the final film on which stop-motion animation master Ray Harryhausen did the special effects.

Whilst not as acclaimed as Harryhausen's earlier effort "Jason and the Argonauts", 'Clash' has developed a more devout fanbase over the years thanks to its darker tone, stellar cast, and arrival at the start of the home video boom.

"Titans" marks Kasdan's first true fantasy-style project since the early 1980s, when he wrote the screenplays for "Return of the Jedi," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." He's not perfect either however, penning the script for the odious 2003 Stephen King adaptation "Dreamcatcher."

Travis Beacham ("Killing on Carnival Row") wrote a draft back in early 2006 which was said to have downplayed the God and mythical elements (ala "Troy") in favour of a more dark and realistic approach.

The original was sold as a family film, complete with a cute R2-D2 esque robot owl, yet featured enough blood, gore and nudity that several shots probably wouldn't pass a PG-13 label these days.

There was talk that the studio would dump the Mt. Olympus scenes altogether, one of the original film's signature elements, but with Kasdan involved now it's not sure if that approach will still hold.