Colin Firth offered villainous role in Oldboy

Colin Firth has been offered the part of the villain in Spike Lee‘s upcoming remake of Oldboy, Twitch reports.

Though Christian Bale was once said to be considering the role, it seems Oscar winner Firth is now the lead contender.

Twitch must have a decent source close to the production, having previously broken the news of Lee’s involvement, as well as the casting of Josh Brolin as the picture’s protagonist.

Brolin will star in the role originally played by Choi Min-sik in Park Chan-wook‘s 2003 original. He plays a man kidnapped and imprisoned without explanation, and released 15 years later (also without explanation). Framed for the murder of his wife, our hero goes on a violent rampage and hunts down his mysterious captors.

Rooney Mara has been targeted to play the female lead.

Firth may not seem like the evil type, but he would be a particularly astute choice for the Oldboy antagonist; a methodical, restrained, and perpetually cool-headed gentleman filled with hate and denial.

Discuss: Or will he always be Mr. Darcy to you?