“He’ll Just Get Another Slap”: Another Round Director Jokingly Responds To Chris Rock’s American Remake

Another Round director, Thomas Vinterberg, gives his thoughts on the planned American remake. The 2020 Danish original film was a massive critical success, winning many accolades during the 2021 awards season, including the Oscar for Best International Feature Film, with Vinterberg also nominated for Best Director. Rights for an American remake were acquired in the week leading up to the Oscars, with Leonardo DiCaprio set to executive produce and Chris Rock directing.

During an interview with Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Vinterberg gave his thoughts on the news of Rock’s involvement in the remake. Initially praising DiCaprio’s decision to acquire the rights and describing him as someone who has always made good decisions, Vinterberg jokingly replied about what would happen if Rock’s direction resulted in a poor remake. Check out his full thoughts below, translated by Moovy’s Johan Albrechtson:

The interviewer: So, Leonardo DiCaprio is making an American version of ‘Another Round’. How do you feel about that?

Thomas Vinterberg: Well, he bought the rights two years ago. And I was immediately excited about it, because the rights have ended up in the hands of someone who’s made a lot of great decisions throughout his career. And he has great taste in movies, so I’m sure he’ll make something great.

The interviewer: It must also feel special to you, because this is a man who’s been nominated for several Oscars. It doesn’t get any bigger than that, right?

Thomas Vinterberg: No, that’s true. It doesn’t really get any bigger than Leonardo DiCaprio. I also really hope that he’ll appear in front of the camera, but we don’t know anything about that yet.

The interviewer: Are you in any way involved with the remake?

Thomas Vinterberg: I’ve made myself available, in case they feel they need my assistance. But I’ve told them that I feel they should just make it themselves. I’ve already made the film once, so now it’s about their choices. I’ve had zero say in the hiring of Chris Rock. But I think it’s exciting.

The interviewer: Exciting how?

Thomas Vinterberg: Well, he’s only made one film before this one, so it’s exciting to see what he comes up with. I’m full of great expectations, and if the movie’s shit than he’ll just get another slap, right?

Another Round’s American Remake Has Potential

While Vinterberg seems excited at the prospect of Rock and DiCaprio recontextualizing Another Round for American audiences, many audience members are doubtful about the film’s chance of success. Prior to being involved in Another Round, Rock had only directed one critically acclaimed movie in Top Five. His other directorial features, Head of State, and I Think I Love My Wife, the latter of which is an American remake of Éric Rohmer’s Love in the Afternoon, were critically panned.

However, Rock has undergone a career shift for some time and has since made directing features a priority. Last year, he was in final talks to direct a biopic on Martin Luther King Jr. through an adaptation of Jonathan Eig’s King: A Life, with Steven Spielberg executive producing. Now, it looks like he is set to helm more thoughtful features through his King biopic and a remake of Another Round, which both deal with more serious themes than his previous-directed comedies.

Because of this, the potential for Another Round to be just as good as the 2020 original is there. DiCaprio executive producing the movie also helps. Whether the Titanic actor will ultimately star in the movie remains to be seen, but it would definitely help Another Round reach for success. Audiences who want to see the original film can rent or buy it on video-on-demand.