Original Another Round director: Chris Rock might get slapped again if remake fails (he’s joking)

Last Updated on February 26, 2024

When it was announced that Chris Rock would be remaking the Danish film Another Round, there was some knee-jerk concern that the comedian may not be able to nail the tone of the original. Personally, I think Rock is an intelligent enough guy to (hopefully) not turn it into a raucous, sloppy mess that the plot, on paper only, suggests. Now, Another Round director Thomas Vinterberg is weighing in on Rock having a go at a remake.

Vinterberg recently told the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet (as translated by NME) that he has faith in Chris Rock taking on Another Round, saying, “The choice of Chris Rock is exciting. It’s exciting [to see] what he comes up with. I am full of good expectations.” Vinterberg then joked, “If it’s shit, he’ll get slapped again,” obviously referring to the 2022 incident in which Rock was attacked by Will Smith after joking about wife Jada.

It might seem like it’s a little too soon to be remaking Another Round, which came out in 2020, but talk of one has actually been on the table for even longer, with Leonardo DiCaprio once attached as early as the spring after the movie came out, possibly playing the role originated by Mads Mikkelsen. Rock, too, may initially seem like a questionable choice, but the man has respect for world and classic cinema, leading both Heaven Can Wait remake Down to Earth and the American re-do of Britain’s Death at a Funeral. Further, his 2007 directorial effort I Think I Love My Wife was a remake of Éric Rohmer’s 1972 film Love in the Afternoon.

For those who have yet to see Thomas Vinterberg’s Another Round, it tells the story of a group of teachers who try to maintain a constant state of controlled inebriation. Also, you are missing out because it’s one of the best films of the decade so far. It would go on to win the Academy Award for Best International Film, while Vinterberg was nominated for Best Director.

How do you think Chris Rock will do with the Another Round remake? Were you a fan of the original?