Goodbye Pork Pie movie remake planned

Matt Murphy is planning to remake his father's iconic movie.

A remake of the Kiwi classic road movie Goodbye Pork Pie is in the works by a son of the original director, Geoff Murphy.

Matt Murphy, one of three directing Murphy sons, has told TimeOut the screenplay for his proposed Pork Pie reboot will soon be doing the rounds of funding bodies.

Murphy, began his own career behind the camera when he worked on his father's 1981 hit film as a teenager. In more recent times, he's become a go-to man for car-oriented television adverts, including many pro-safety commercials for the New Zealand Transport Agency.

His latest car ad is one for Mini which replicates the Lake Hawea police chase scene from Goodbye Pork Pie in a campaign, inspired by the film, for a new generation car.

But Murphy has had his remake idea in development for the past three years, long before he got the gig as director for the commercial, which can be seen online from Monday.

He sees his version of Goodbye Pork Pie as an adaptation of his father's movie, rather than a remake, citing the contemporary version of another Mini movie, The Italian Job, and its sixties original. The new version, though, would still involve a drive from north to south.

"It's going to be various things. Some things will be strongly related to the original whereas others will be fresh and new. It's a balancing act of both, making an exciting new film and respecting the old story. We feel like we've pretty much cracked that [in the script]."

Kelly Johnson, Claire Oberman and Tony Barry in the original Goodbye Pork Pie.

"Our remake would be a Mini that finds itself on the wrong side of the law with three inhabitants in it. But the story itself would need its own legs, otherwise you are making the same film that has already been made."

Murphy says his father is supportive of his son's urge to follow in his tyre tracks.

"He quite likes the fact that the story maintains appeal. He knows about this Mini ad and thinks that it's great that it's still got lots of sentiment out there."

Murphy says making an action movie will involve budget challenges, but his experience on vehicular shoots will help. But can the movie recreate the rebel yell that was the 1981 movie?

"Look it needs to have a bit of a sense of adventure and a zest for freedom. It is a little bit of rebel yell absolutely. That is still relevant in these times."

- TimeOut