Keanu Reeves starring in The Day The Earth Stood Still!

Oh, dear. Oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear… While we had already filed away the attempt to remake 1951’s classic The Day The Earth Stood Still as a hugely unnecessary pimple on modern filmmaking’s arse, things just took another turn with the announcement that Keanu Reeves is nabbing the lead.

He’s already annoyed genre fans with his take on Constantine so 20th Century Fox – and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose director Scott Derrickson’s vision had better be a good one or there will be massive protests.

The role – Kalaatu – which was originally played by Michael Rennie, is one of the more iconic parts in sci-fi history. He was the human-looking being who arrives on Earth in a flying saucer alongside an indestructible, well-armed robot to warn us humans that his race (and others) are watching us and we face destruction if we keep on trying to wage war.

There’s no word yet on what updates David Scarpa’s script will make, but of course there will be lashing of CGI. Another lash, the frontlash, starts here…