When it hit theaters in 1989, The War of the Roses caused a stir because no one expected Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner to star in a film where they were lovers turned archenemies after so much success with Romancing the Stone. Even though it was one of the biggest box office hits of the year, the film was not a drama or a comedy. As a result, although praised by moviegoers, it is now a cult classic, but not exactly a “classic”.

The news that it would be remade 35 years later, with Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch, caught my attention in 2024, and now we have the official trailer, where the original roles are reversed and the humor is more highlighted.

The original story, which was a bestseller before being made into a movie, tells the story of Oliver and Barbara Rose, a couple who seem to have a perfect marriage, but which quickly disintegrates into a bitter and destructive battle when she, frustrated at having given up her dreams to be a housewife, resents her husband and wants a divorce. The problem? Neither of them wants to give up the house they built together. In 2025, the frustrated one is the husband (Cumberbatch), but the rest is very similar to the original.

This is not a remake, the producers warn, but a “reinterpretation”. In this new version, renamed in Brazil as “Perfection Unmasked” and in the original simply “The Roses”, Oliver and Barbara become Theo and Ivy, an English couple who live on the coast of California, where she ends up becoming a successful chef, but he ends up becoming an unemployed architect. Even though they were initially in love, as Theo’s frustration and jealousy grew, so did the chaos in their marriage, leading to divorce. This was just the beginning of the war between them.

The original title was more fun and accurate because The War of the Roses was not only literal but also referred to the period of the English Civil War. The Roses features the undeniable versatility of Olivia Colman (who can do anything with ease, comedy or drama) as well as Benedict Cumberbatch under the direction of the experienced Jay Roach, and will only hit theaters in the second half of the year.

One of the strengths of this “reinterpretation” is the screenwriter Tony McNamara, who wrote The Great, as well as Poor Things, and who had already worked with Olivia on The Favourite. He is perfect at acidic and uncomfortable humor. McNamara, who claims to be a fan of the 1989 film, claims that she studied the original book more than the film, but everyone tries so hard to deny that it is a “remake” that it kind of reinforces the impression that they didn’t work it out well together. But it doesn’t hurt; we can see that in the trailer.

The update and role reversal are important because the “battle of the sexes” is still going strong, and with greater identification with generations that know nothing about the original. And if Danny DeVito was the director as well as the supporting actor, now there are stars like Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, and Ncuti Gatwa. Can’t complain, right?

One thing I agree with the current team on is that you don’t need to be familiar with The War of the Roses to enjoy the retelling. Maybe it’s even better? Since 1989, several films have “borrowed” the plot, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith, whose protagonists, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, represent in real life what is on the screen (and are nicknamed for being in the “War of the Rosés”, because of the vineyard in France).

We’ll see how the new audience will react!