When I first heard about Shawn Levy‘s “Real Steel,” I assumed that it was a case of Hollywood stealing a great idea and remaking it into a sub-par feature.

Richard Matheson’s story was brilliant, and I couldn’t imagine that anyone, especially Levy, bringing anything positive to the story.

So, when I wasn’t implying that Matheson’s original short was being raped, I said it outright.  That being said, it appears that I was correct–though mostly wrong (especially about the “raping” part).

“Real Steel” is indeed based upon Richard Matheson’s story, “Steel,” but what I didn’t consider was that he may not only have approved of it, but actually enjoyed the film.

This is confirmed by an interview with Matheson, where he admits that not only was his story the basis of the film, but that he was aware that the film was being made, and enjoyed viewing it.

“Real Steel” is currently enjoys a 56% rating on RottenTomatoes.com, so clearly he’s not the only one.