What to expect from The Harder They Come II?

his month marks 40 years since the release of Perry Henzell's sensational movie The Harder They Come which helped introduce Jamaican pop culture to the world. Today, the Jamaica Observer concludes a series of stories on the film's impact and persons who were involved with it.

There will be a remake of The Harder They Come. Justine Henzell, daughter of Perry Henzell, the director/writer behind the classic 1972 film, told the Jamaica Observer last week that production on the project will start in 2013.

Mavado

Henzell said she is keeping details of the new film "close to my chest".

Remaking outstanding films has become the norm for Hollywood in recent years. Producers in Tinseltown have made millions of dollars putting a fresh spin on movies like Scarface, The Nutty Professor, The Manchurian Candidate and 3:10 To Yuma.

While the plots are basically similar to the originals, the remakes are usually edgier, especially in the case of Scarface which starred Al Pacino, and 3:10 To Yuma which saw incredible acting from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

Interestingly, The Harder They Come was based on the exploits of Ivanhoe 'Rhygin' Martin, a St Catherine drifter who terrorised sections of west Kingston in the late-940s. Jimmy Cliff starred as Ivan, a country boy who travels to Kingston looking for a break as a singer in the music business. It does not materialise, and eventually he turns to a life of crime.

Kingston's gritty ghettos provided the perfect backdrop for the film which was an international sensation and made Cliff a superstar.

Who will play Ivan in the new film? Can that person be as raw as Cliff? Here are some potential candidates.

Mavado: Born in the tough Cassava Piece area of St Andrew, the 'Gully God' has genuine urban credentials. Mavado spent time as a youth in St Mary, which means he has some appreciation for rural life, a requirement for Ivan.

Bushman: The singer can identify with Cliff's Ivan. From Lyssons, a fishing area in St Thomas, he came to Kingston in the early 1990s and hung out at Arrows studio in the city's east end, yearning for that big break which came with Call The Hearse.

I-Wayne: Another singer who did the studio rounds (in his native Portmore and Kingston) before scoring with two chart hits in 2004. Familiarity with the tedium and rejection that go hand in hand with the music business may be a good thing for the Ivan résumé.

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