Hugh Jackman as Rhett Butler.

Yeah, I perked up when I saw the headlines, too.   It has been confirmed that Hugh Jackman will play Rhett Butler in a remake of Gone With The Wind, scheduled for 2017.

Only thing is, everyone seems to bewailing a) the remake and b) that it’s Jackman in the classic role.

I was a Gone With the Wind nut.  I had the dresses, went to GWTW parties, and I’ve read the book more than a few times.  I’ve watched the movie less times than I’ve read the book, because for me, the movie doesn’t quite hit the mark properly.  Yes, it was a very long book, but even the 300 minute movie didn’t do it justice.  What they had to cut was some of the more interesting stuff.

These days, no one has any objections at all to Hollywood taking three or four or more movies to tell a long, complicated story (Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings — which was the original that started this, and I can go on).  So if there has to be a remake at all — and again, I actually don’t have any objections to a remake — then I think that taking three or four movies to get it right would be brilliant.

Also, I think Hugh Jackman will be brilliant in the role.  I know for a fact he can do a better southern accent than Clark Gable ever managed.  And he has the looks, too.  Forget that he’s Wolverine personified and look at the image I have at the top of this post.

He’s also nice and tall and good to look at, so I think it’s a fine piece of casting.

My one concern is who gets to play Scarlett.  While the movie failed on a lot of points (although it was excellent for the level of movie-making possible in those days), I do think that Vivienne Leigh was absolutely perfect for her role.  There was a TV mini series made in the early ’90s based on the official sequel and I didn’t like the actress who played Scarlett at all.  I stopped watching halfway through the first episode.

So I will be watching this development closely.  I, for one, am in favour of the remake.

You?