Keanu Reeves to star in remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still

Variety is reporting that Keanu Reeves has agreed to star as Klaatu in Twentieth Century Fox's upcoming remake of the classic 1951 sf film The Day the Earth Stood Still. What they're not reporting is why Fox feels there's any need to remake this classic. They expect to start production late this year or early next.

In the original, the humanoid Klaatu lands in a flying saucer in Washington, DC, with an indestructible, heavily armed robot to warn world leaders that their continued aggression will lead to annihilation by species watching from afar. It was a response to the Cold War. The producers say the story will be updated for the new film, and they'll use newer visual effects.

Reeves's manager Erwin Stoff is producing, with Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) directing from a script by David Scarpa.