Dirty Harry remake starring Will Smith announced for 2016

Do you feel lucky? Do you? Well if you like Dirty Harry you're in luck - remake announced for 2016.

Warner Bros, one of the biggest players in Hollywood made a huge announcement this morning that will no doubt drive film fans into a frenzy - 45 years after it's release, the legendary action thriller Dirty Harry is getting a remake - and what's more, the flick is starring none other than Will Smith himself.

The 1971 story of "Dirty" Harry Callahan, San Francisco Police Department, has come to be one of the most iconic films of the 70's and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't recognise the movie's most famous line, delivered by steel-faced, gun-touting Clint Eastwood: "Do you feel lucky, punk?".

In the press release, Warner Bros revealed that they had been planning a remake since 2002, but that they had not been able to find anyone who they thought could live up to Clint Eastwood's august performance in the original. This is what Kristoffer Tabora, the son of Don Siegel, the director of the 1971 film as well as the director of the upcoming remake, had to say: - You know when you got a film as successful and as influential as Dirty Harry, there's this unspoken rule in Hollywood that you've got to make a remake and relaunch the story for a new generation. I am not ashamed of this, it's what we do in Hollywood and it's a great opportunity to create a new exciting version. This project has been on the drawing board for almost 15 years and I was just about to give up on it until 2013 when I saw After Earth in the cinemas and saw Will Smith's energy and fire, I knew I wanted him to be Dirty Harry. Two years later, we are well into production and are expecting a 2016 release. Working with Smith is a blessing and he is really nailing his role - must be his African American blood!"

The film will have the same plot and storyline of the original, but the scenes that will be used to tell the story however, will be mostly new and completely rewritten. Tabora elaborates: - As much as some of my guys just want to do Dirty Harry scene by scene with the same script out of laziness, there is no way I'm venturing out on this journey without really refreshing the film and its story. For example, this remake is not set in the 1970's but in 2016 and obviously there are going to be differences because of the era. I think both fans of Dirty Harry and those who are new to the story will love what we are doing here."

Further news on this movie can be expected closer to the release date, but in the meantime, you can discuss the upcoming blockbuster under the hashtag #DirtyHarryRemake