Apparently there’s going to be a new remake of Around the World in 80 Days… starring Jackie Chan. As Passepartout. And British comedian Steve Coogan will play Phileas Fogg. I quote from the article:

Based on the novel by Jules Verne, “80 Days” begins with Passepartout (Chan), an adventurer, trying to make it to China to restore a sacred object stolen from his village. He’s joined by Phileas Fogg (Coogan), who puts his rep as an inventor on the line to provide the transport. Bent on stopping them is Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent), head of the Royal Academy of Science, who’ll lose his fortune if the duo circles the globe in that 80-day period.

Based on the novel by Jules Verne??? If you haven’t read the book, let me spell it out for you: it’s nothing like this. Passepartout is French, for God’s sake! They never even go to China! I shouldn’t get so upset, but the original really is one of my favorite books. This quote is especially ironic: “We believe in Frank Coraci’s vision for a film that will be a lot like ‘Willy Wonka’ — colorful, fun and adventurous,” said Cary Granat, head of the company developing the picture. I’d just like to point out another similarity with Willy Wonka: they’re both complete rip-offs that bastardize and dumb-down an excellent story. Hmmph.