A "Thunder Road" redux would really fly.....You listening QT?.....

A while back I discussed the proposed "White Lightning" remake that Quentin Tarantino was thinking about. I haven't heard any more buzz on any movie sites, so maybe it fell through or is just on the back burner. If QT wants to make a blockbuster gangsters and car-chase flick he should consider "Thunder Road." If you don't know-"Thunder Road" was written by Robert Mitchum who'd been in a few westerns in the '50's. Like "White Lightning"-"Thunder Road" was about Luke Doolin- a "Gator" type-who ran moonshine whiskey in the south. Mitchum got the studio to buy it because he had talked to Elvis Presley. We all know Elvis was a huge rock star-and had made a few movies-but they were all low-budget camp that had him sing a lot. He wanted to be taken seriously as an actor-and he thought playing the evil Luke Doolin would get him the respect he deserved and maybe even an Oscar. Presley verbally committed to do it with Mitchum and the studio brass. With Elvis as the star-the studio virtually gave Mitchum a blank check. Like Steve McQueen years later in "Bullitt"-Mitchum wanted total realism-he contacted actual ATF agents and actual Moonshiners that were on probation. The cars, and the gangster pecking order, the corruption, police procedures were all to the letter real. Then Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager-threw a monkey wrench in. He wanted massive changes to the script. He felt that playing a criminal would tarnish Presley's good-guy image. The studio had already started pre-production-buying the cars, building the sets, and paying consulting fees to the Justice Department, the ATF, and Dept of Corrections. The studio said no-Presley played the part as it was written. Elvis wanted to and sided with the studio brass and Mitchum. Ultimately, Parker convinced him that it would be a bad career move, and he pulled out. The studio went ahead with Mitchum as the star and the rest is history. It made Mitchum a huge star and was a blockbuster hit-the second highest grossing movie of 1958.  Anyhow-you could do a totally badass remake today. Here's how I'd do it. # 1. Time period. A no-brainer-Late 1960's. Doolin is an Ex-Green Beret Viet Nam Vet who comes back to the family business, which is Moonshine. This allows you to use '60's cars-which with their heavy frames and suspensions can do the stunts without falling apart like modern cars would. # 2. Social issues-and "Old School" businessmen vs "New School" businessmen. Having been to Viet Nam and seen the corruption and vice there-Doolin sees room for expansion and unlimited income. Instead of just booze-with his asian military connections-he sees the drug trade-heroin and cocaine, and prostitution as the wave of the future. He wants to orgainize the drug, booze and pussy trade in his state and own it. And having fought alongside many different people-he wants to hire a bunch of other Vets as his security and salesman. Obviously him hiring blacks and other minorities will outrage the hillbilly gangsters and Law Enforcement alike. Which sets up....# 3. Like Micheal Corleone standing alone against Barzini and Tattaglia and the other five families-besides the ATF and the DEA, Doolin will have to fight the "Old School" other moonrunners who don't like him thinking he can just take over and hire niggers and gooks, and tell everyone how to do business different than they have for the last 40 years since Prohibition put them in business. # 4. This will give you plenty of opportunity for kick-ass fights, gunfights and car chases. As long it;s done "Old School" and real-no CGI or physically impossible shit like in Transporter 3. # 5. Casting. Doolin has to be a Hillbilly. No Mark Wahlberg, Ben Affleck or Matt Damon. My choice would be-after his back to back, stunning performances as evil Texas hustlers in "Mud" and "Dallas Buyers Club"-Matthew Mconaghey. Brad Pitt would be good-Who can forget the Utterly Evil and remorseless "Early Grace" from "Kalifornia", or the Colonel in "Inglorious Bastards?" ( "This Nazi wants to die for the Fatherland" "Oblige him". ) Edward Norton could do it-remember his stunning portrayal of a Nazi Skinhead in "American History X?"  Cameron Diaz,Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron,Tricia Helfer, Pam Anderson, Scarlett Johansen-one or more of them could all be great as Doolin's-southern fried bleach-blonde,barefoot, trailer-park Barbie Coke whores. Don Johnson would be great as the corrupt sheriff who likes the profit and the perks of allowing Doolin to do business, but also has to throw the Feds a bone once in a while to keep his job. I think it could really fly. Now if we could get Troublemaker Studios on board....Mastermind