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The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 science fiction film, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Directed by Scott Derrickson and starring Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, the film updates Cold War themes like nuclear warfare to more contemporary ones, such as "humans vs. nature" and humanity's generally violent nature toward itself.
In the original movie, a flying saucer orbits Earth, and lands in Washington, DC, on the Mall. Klaatu (Michael Rennie) steps out and is shot by a jumpy soldier. Gort (Lock Martin), an indestructible robot steps out of the spacecraft and proceeds to melt all the weapons, including tanks, without harming a single human being. Later, the Earth comes to realize that Gort has used very little of his power to make this happen.
While lying on the ground, Klaatu orders Gort to stop, and is then taken by the military to a hospital from which he later escapes in order to learn more about this planet called Earth and its human inhabitants. He meets Helen Benson (Patricia Neal) and her son. Billy Benson (Billy Gray) takes Klaatu on a tour of Washington DC finally stopping in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Klaatu reads the words uttered by Lincoln many years ago and realizes that there might be hope for Earth.
When they begin to suspect him, he reveals himself, along with the news that Gort is a member of a race of super-robot enforcers invented to keep the peace of the galaxy and will destroy the Earth if provoked. Klaatu is pursued and shot and killed by the military. Before Klaatu dies, he tells Helen to go to Gort, and say these words Klaatu Barada Nikto. If she does not, Klaatu tells her Gort will destroy the Earth. Helen makes her way to the ship and finds Gort. As Gort moves towards her, she repeats the phrase over and over. Gort picks her up and takes her into the ship. Gort then retrieves Klaatus body and through their alien science, resurrects Klaatu.
The 2008 remake about an alien and his indestructible robot will star (Keanu Reeves) as Klaatu, Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson, (Jaden Smith) as Jacob, and (Kathy Bates). Gort has not been cast at this time and will most likely be created using FX.
The remake of (The Day the Earth Stood Still) will supposedly remain true to the original movie, however there is a chance the remake will more likely remain true to the short story upon which the 1951 movie is based. In either case the alien 'weaponry' seems to have been upgraded. In addition to a city going dark, and a very brief look at the new Gort, the film trailer shows a cloud of black smoke, capable of rapid movement and disintegrating matter on contact.
In the 1951 movie, Gort is described as one of a race of robots created by the planets to maintain peace throughout the galaxy. If the 2008 remake follows the short story by (Harry Bates), "Farewell to the Master" upon which the 1951 movie is based, it will be revealed at the end of the movie by Gort himself that he is the master, and not Klaatu.
Director Scott Derrickson admired the original film's director Robert Wise, whom he met as a film student. He liked the idea of remaking the film as he felt it could explore modern issues as well as it did for concerns of the 1950s. Filming took place in Vancouver from December 12, 2007 to March 19, 2008. The film was originally scheduled for release on May 9, 2008, but it was delayed to December 12, 2008 because filming commenced later than scheduled.
For the film's version of Gort, Derrickson explored many possibilities for depicting the character, but realized making a faithful homage to the original was best. However, his form has a biological basis rather than a mechanical one, as Derrickson theorized not all alien races would be interested in developing machines. One script draft depicted the robot as a four-legged "Totem" that stands upright after firing its weapon beam. Weta Digital is creating the character.
Cast:
Keanu Reeves as Klaatu, an alien messenger. Derrickson felt Reeves could portray a lack of humanity, but he would not be "doing things that are highly unusual or highly quirky. He’s not performing an alien like Jeff Bridges in Starman." Producer Erwin Stoff had Reeves in mind for the role when he had the idea to remake the film around 1993. Klaatu in the remake is not as warm or human as Michael Rennie's interpretation in the original, and is an alien contained in a human body, rather than an alien with a humanoid form.
Jennifer Connelly as Helen Benson, a microbiologist who works at Princeton University and inducted by the government into investigating Klaatu. Connelly was Derrickson's first choice.
Kathy Bates.
Jon Hamm as Dr. Granier, a NASA official who recruits Helen into a scientific team investigating Klaatu.
Jaden Smith as Jacob, Helen's rebellious eight-year old stepson.
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