In an interview on CNBC's Squawk BoxGrazer, who has been doing the press rounds in support of the Powell-starring legacy-quel “Twisters” (which /Film's Jeremy Mathai raved about), revealed that a “Backdraft” remake is in the works. He didn't reveal any details other than Powell's involvement, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the indie-film darling is put in the director's chair like Barry Jenkins, Chloé Zhao or even “Twisters” helmer Lee Isaac Chung.
I don't envy anyone's work here. “Backdraft” is not a sophisticated movie. The screenplay credited to Gregory Widen (a former firefighter) recklessly employs the oldest cliches, and gets away with it because the set pieces are a thrillingly seamless blend of practical pyrotechnics and invisible optical f/x. When “Backdraft” hit theaters over Memorial Day weekend in 1991, CGI was still in its infancy, so we knew that Howard and cinematographer Michael Solomon – who, ironically, played a key role in the advent of the CGI era as James Cameron's DP on “The Abyss” – were really playing with fire. It's simply a dangerous-looking movie – especially with Russell's father character running into burning buildings without a mask.
Hopefully Grazer, Powell and the director—who will be named sooner or later—will insist on practical action and not drown out memories of the original film with dull CG spectacle. But will they be able to surpass Howard's “Backdraft”? They probably shouldn't expect any help from Russell in this department. And Kurt's son Wyatt will also likely pass.
Is 35-year-old Powell ready to be a father? He clearly has the makings of a father. I'd just like to see him create his own fathering classics rather than directly comparing himself to great fathers like Bill Paxton and Kurt Russell.
