The chilling fear of nuclear annihilation hit the box office in 1964 with both Sidney Lumet’s gripping thriller Fail Safe and Stanley Kubrick’s darkly comedic Dr. Strangelove, one of the best comedy war movies. These twin films, stemming from the anxieties at the time, explored the terrifying possibility of accidental nuclear war with historical Cold War accuracy, though with vastly different tones.

While Dr. Strangelove became one of the best political satires of all time, Fail Safe, despite its own merits, often exists in its shadow. Now, nearly sixty years later, Fail Safe is set to be remade for a second time, following a 2000 live televised play adaptation. This new reimagining, helmed by Joe Berlinger, promises a “faux-cinema verité” approach, offering a fresh perspective on this classic story and a chance to resonate with contemporary audiences concerned about the increasing influence of technology.

1964’s Fail Safe Is Being Remade For A Second Time

There Was A Live Televised Play In 2000

This is not the first time there has been a reimagining of Fail Safe. In 2000, there was a televised broadcast play starring George Clooney as Col. Jack Grady. The play was based on the original novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. It was an unusual format as a televised live play, and one of the few examples of this since the 1960s. Airing on CBS, the production was sH๏τ in black and white, which was the same format as the original 1964 adaptation by Sidney Lumet.

According to Playbill, the 84-minute production had 22 cameras on multiple sets. Although the play boasted an impressive cast who delivered great performances, it pales in comparison to the enduring impact of the genuinely horrifying 1964 movie. Although the theatrical format was interesting, it arguably did not work in its favor when compared to the building of tension in the film. As a play, it naturally reads more hypothetical than it would as a movie production. However, the live television drama was innovative in its approach to filming and was still a thought-provoking anti-war piece.

The Controversy Surrounding Fail Safe & Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove Explained

The Controversy Of The Twin Films Has Put Fail Safe In Its Shadow

Dr. Strangelove and Fail Safe were released in 1964 – Fail Safe was released only nine months after Dr. Strangelove’s premiere. The two movies are based on similar novels about the very current nuclear fear at the time – Dr. Strangelove was inspired by the novel Red Alert by Peter George, while Fail Safe was based on the novel of the same name. The two movies had different approaches – Dr. Strangelove was darkly satirical, while Fail Safe was a Cold War thriller. Despite this, their proximity means they are considered twin movies, especially because of Dr. Strangelove’s behind-the-scenes lawsuit.

The lawsuit surrounding Dr. Strangelove stemmed from similarities between the film’s source material, Peter George’s Red Alert, and the novel Fail-Safe by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. Kubrick, George, and Columbia Pictures sued Burdick, Wheeler, and the production company planning a Fail-Safe adaptation for plagiarism. Kubrick aimed to capitalize on the “heat” generated by this dispute, believing it would boost Dr. Strangelove‘s marketability.

Kubrick viewed Fail-Safe as plagiarism (per Deep Focus Review) and a direct compeтιтor in the nuclear war-themed market. The lawsuit, while potentially risky, ultimately served as a powerful marketing tool, drawing attention to Dr. Strangelove and solidifying its position as a unique and anticipated film. The legal battle underscored the compeтιтive landscape of filmmaking and the importance of securing intellectual property rights.

How A New Fail Safe Movie Can Set Itself Apart From Dr. Strangelove

Joe Berlinger Is Taking A Fresh Approach To Fail Safe

While Dr Strangelove and Fail Safe will always be compared, Dr Strangelove was overwhelmingly more successful and arguably one of the best comedies of all time. Its dark humor comes from the intense build-up to the mission happening and there are Sєxual references and over-the-top comedy abound in its satirization of Operation Paperclip. A new Fail Safe movie can remove itself from the legal issues that fed into the still-funny Dr Strangelove’s marketing and set itself apart from the movie, which has a very different appeal to the more serious Fail Safe.

The classic 1964 Fail Safe movie starring Henry Fonda is being reimagined. According to Variety, director Joe Berlinger is taking a “faux-cinema verité” approach to his remake. This would add another layer of realism and continue the innovative approaches to the original text. It will imagine an alternative history, showing what would really happen if a “failsafe” mechanical failure hurtled the United States toward nuclear war with the Soviet Union. This will bring the current global topic of technocracy to the forefront, giving this 1960s classic an enduring relevance outside of Dr. Strangelove’s shadow.

Source: Playbill, Deep Focus Review, Variety