No matter how much I wish that this Point Break remake was just some elaborate hoax, with each day that passes, it unfortunately moves closer to production. The latest step for the film was Friday’s screen testing of a batch of actors for the lead role of Johnny Utah. It appears that the testing went well as today we have word that Luke Bracey has been selected to step into Keanu Reeves’ wetsuit.
Previously, Alcorn Entertainment had considered Garrett Hedlund and Nicholas Hoult for the part, and they also tested Luke Grimes, but in the end, Bracey, who most recently appeared in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, came out on top.
So far, every decision that’s been made for this project has aggravated me even further. First of all, it’s written by Kurt Wimmer, the man behind the Totall Recall remake. He completely ruined that film and he’ll likely do the same here, as it’s now not just a surfing movie, but rather something set in the world of extreme sports. So that was the first straw.
Then, they decide to let Ericson Core, best known as a cinematographer, direct. Not that that’s necessarily a bad move, but going with a more experienced director for a film like this would have been preferred.
Now, they’ve started casting. To say I was upset about Gerard Butler being cast as Bodhi would be a major understatement. I’m actually somewhat of a Butler fan, especially in action films, but to have a guy whose last surfing movie pulled in a whopping $6 million take on the role that was so perfectly played by Patrick Swayze just feels wrong, and Bracey’s casting feels the exact same way.
I don’t have anything against the actor, and I actually think he could do quite well in some sort of extreme sports action movie, but as Johnny Utah? Come on now. That’s one of Reeves’ all time best roles. The laid-back surfer persona that some mock him for now was absolutely perfect for the film. Every detail of Bracey’s performance will be scrutinized against what Reeves did, and I don’t have much hope of it being comparable.
I guess we can still hope that they fail to find someone right for Roach and give up on the whole project…
What do you think of Bracey as Johnny Utah? Are you as upset about this Point Break remake as I am? Head down to the comments section to share your thoughts.