2023 marks the twentieth anniversary of the bizarrely bad vanity project The Room, which has now achieved cult classic status and is a stalwart of rep screenings across the world – frequently with Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero in attendance. In 2017, James and Dave Franco made an Oscar-nominated comedy movie about the making of The Room called The Disaster Artist.
To celebrate the twentieth anniversary, and to raise money for charity, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk is starring in a shot-for-shot remake of The Room. Podcaster Justin Decloux posted on Twitter, “I am very excited for the feature-length The Room remake (shot mostly on greenscreen) in which the Tommy Wiseau role is taken over by Bob Odenkirk — and it’s not played as a joke.”
Odenkirk has since confirmed that it’s true, posting; “This is real. This is true. And let me tell you, I tried my best to SELL every line, as honestly as I could…and I had a BLAST.” The Room remake seeks to raise funds for the nonprofit organisation amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.
Brando Crawford plays the traitor Mark (originally played by Greg Sestero) and Bella Heathcote (known for horror movies The Neon Demon and Relic) plays the femme fatale Lisa (originally played by Juliette Danielle). The Room is known for some wonderful lines of dialogue, delivered with aplomb by Wiseau, such as “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” and “Oh hai, Mark.”
The twentieth anniversary of the release of The Room is June 27, 2023 – so the remake is likely to be released around then. While we wait for what is sure to be an incoming dramatic masterpiece, check out our guide the best drama movies.