Thoughts on remakes

Or when they do bring something new, it's actually rather lame.

__________________
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

They usually try to improve on the original by introducing elements that weren't available and since there have been so many breakthroughs in CGI, they feel they can pull it off, when really, the original has the better gimmick.

__________________
"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said, "I hear music", as if there is any other way you can take it in. You're not special, that's how I receive it too. I tried to taste it but it did not work." - Mitch Hedberg

Or they change the meat of the film entirely. Case in point - Dawn of the Dead. Apart from the fact that both versions of the film feature zombies (and even then, the 2004 version features "infected" people in the vein of 28 Days Later... rather than reanimated corpses) and take place inside a shopping mall, the two films have vastly different plots and characters.

Well, I think that they're remaking The Fly (again) so maybe that one will float your boat too.

A couple of things I found out today.

1. Brett Ratner has left the Conan remake. He's concentrating on Beverley Hills Cop 4, his Milli Vanilli film and a adaptation of Youngblood (the comicbook, not the ice hockey film with Rob Lowe.)

2. Keanu Reeves has signed on for Universal's remake of The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Justin Haythe writing and Nicolas Winding Refn directing.

Don't know what this does to the Guillermo Del Toro version.

OK, I've found some more of these (it's become like the Kevin Bacon game for me. Finding these, it's addictive I tells ya!)

Brighton Rock 2010 Rowan Joffe writing and directing Sam Riley and Carey Mulligan.
Highlander 2010 Matt Holloway and Art Marcum rumoured writers. Kevin McKidd linked.
10 2010 or 2011
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance 2010
Captain Blood 2011 Phillip Noyce directing
All Of Me Adam Shankman directing Queen Latifah rumoured.
Starfighter Original director Nick Castle in the chair.
The Jetsons (Live Action) 2011/12
Child's Play 2010 Don Mancini directing. Brad Dourif rumoured.
Logan's Run 2010/11 Joseph Kosinski directing. That's the director of Tr2n, Tron 2 or Tron 2.0 or whatever it's called this week.
36 (French remake) 2010/11 Martin Campbell directing.
Oldboy 2010 Speilberg and Will Smith are involved. According to Smith, it's going to be based more on the original Manga, rather than the film.
Short Circuit 2010
Death Wish 2011 Wasn't this remade as The Brave and also as Death Sentence?
Akira (Live action) 2011 Ruairi Robinson directing, Leonardo Di Caprio producing
13 (French remake) 2010 Gela Babluani writing and directing again and starring Ray Liotta, 50 Cent, Emmanuelle Chiquiri, Ray Winstone, Jason Stratham, Mickey Rourke, Ben Gazzara and Natasha Lyonne.
Back To School 2010 Starring Cedric The Entertainer.
When Worlds Collide 2010 Steven Sommers directing.
The Illustrated Man 2010 Zac Snyder directing.
The Thing (remake/prequel) Marc Abraham producing, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. directing, Ron Moore writing.


Rumour
Last Tango In Paris. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Rosemary's Baby Michael Bay producing. Apparently it's slated for 2010 but there's no mention of it on IMDB, so I've put it here.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show I heard about MTV Films doing this at the same time I heard about Fame. Fame's out this year, still no sign of this, though it is on IMDB as a TV movie.
Westworld
The Dirty Dozen 2012 Joel Silver producing.
Metropolis
Meatballs 2010/11 John Whitesell directing.
Fantastic Voyage Cormac and Marianne Wibberley writing.
The Incredible Shrinking Man 2010+ Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant script. Brett Ratner (rumoured) and Eddie Murphy (rumoured)
Romancing The Stone Daniel McDermott script.


Also, there's a few other developments on films from the previous list that I'll bold on it.

The Rosemary's Baby plans for a remake are gone.

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0634218/

How can they remake Short Circuit? That movie is a masterpiece..."Number 5 is alive!"

__________________
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

They are remaking Fantastic Planet. Can you believe that?

I don't see Spielberg being involved with Oldboy.

I had to thumbs-up that post of honeykid's purely for mentioning a rumour that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were going to be in a remake of Last Tango in Paris.

First I've heard of this, I'll be interested to see what the production design is like. Hopefully they won't tinker with the plot too much because in my opinion, it's fine just the way it is.

Assuming you mean The Brave One then no it wasn't a remake, though the script was very similar; especially the nature of the police involvement and the ending.
I don't think Death Sentence was an official remake, it was just adapted from a novel by Brian Garfield who also wrote Death Wish. Man that guy needs to get some new ideas.

Funny, Death Wish gets a lot of stick from pundits in the UK because of Michael Winner (who's often ridiculed by the media here). Shame because it's a great flick.

Now this is the kind of film they should be remaking, not that the original is rubbish, far from it (I love the film). It's just such a fun Sci-Fi premise, and once again I'll be intrigued to see the production design.

Yeah, I read something similar a couple of weeks ago (it's why I didn't include it on my first list) but then, yesterday, I saw more detail (rather than just a "it might happen" rumour) so that's why I included it but left it on the rumour section. Personally, I don't think it's going to happen. Not anytime soon anyway.


I think that Spielberg's involvement is as Producer, but I couldn't find any confirmation, so I left it at "included".


I think that it's Tom who has the most involvement, possibly as Producer but, inevitably, Katie's been mentioned in some kind of "Eye's Wide Shut" type Cruise couple sex drama. As you said though, I had to include it.


Actually, I think that it was announced last year. I'd forgotten about it.


Yes I did mean The Brave One. Also, I know that it wasn't an official remake or anything (neither was Death Sentence) but, basically, they're both the same film and that film is Death Wish. Also, I think that Death Wish is a good film. Certainly better than either of the films I mentioned as remakes.


I completely agree with this.


Speaking of Michael Winner, one more remake that I forgot about yesterday.

Simon West is directing a remake of The Mechanic, starring Jason Stratham. I think he's playing the older, Charles Bronson role. It currently has a US release date of 15 December 2010. According to IMDB it's being "totally reimagined as a spy thriller in a post 9/11 world."

5 whole days without seeing the word 'remake' on my travels around the net. But it came to an end today.

Mona Lisa 2011 Larry Clark directing Mickey Rourke and Eva Green. Story moved from London to NY. Starts shooting in NY in July.

Wuthering Heights 2010 Peter Webber directing Gemma Arterton and Ed Westwick.

The Killer Elite Starring Jason Stratham. I must admit that this may not be a remake of the Peckenpah one, but it seems likely.

Cliffhanger

Fright Night This is being produced by the same team that's doing the The Reincarnation Of Peter Proud and Angel Heart remakes.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Albert Ferrera directing 50 Cent and Forrest Whittaker.

As I'm here, I'll also mention that Sir Anthony Hopkins has signed on to play Hannibal Lecter. Ridley Scott is also back to direct.

Lastly, Evan Daugherty is the latest in quite a long line of writers to be given the task of writing the new He-Man, Greyskull.

I stand by my position that most movie re-makes are disastrous and don't work out well. If a movie's already a great hit and a success, why bother to re-make it? To paraphrase the old adage: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". No matter how many times one tries to replicate something, there's absolutely nothing like the original, imho.

If, however, a movie is of very poor quality, but yet has potential for improvement with a remake, then that's when a remake of such a movie might benefit it by more successful. The majority of movies don't seem to fall into this latter category, however. Most movies are better left alone.

__________________
"It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams (1722-1803)

OK, more remake news.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Michelle Morgan has been commissioned to write the screenplay.

21 Jump Street Jonah Hill producing and writing.

Flight Of The Navigator Brad Copeland writing, David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman producing.

Guys And Dolls (rumour) Guy Ritchie directing Jason Stratham.

There's some updates on the previous page.

HK, you're doing an awesome job on posting all the information you've got on possible remakes.

I'd agree with that only because it's harder to top a good film. I'm completely against most remakes on principle but as i said, if it's a decent auteur at work i'm happy to see them adapt the original material and combine it with their unique sensibilities.

__________________

Perhaps. But there's no reason to think even half of these "in development" or "announced" projects will get off the ground. When there's some pre-production going on and shooting scheduled, I'll believe them. Until then, it's all "ZOMG they're remaking (fill in the blank)". Honestly, these types of lists & updates of things that aren't even close to actually happening are a little tiring. At this point, it's difficult to name a film that hasn't been rumored at some point to have a remake in the works; I prefer to separate wheat from chaff on this particular topic.

__________________
the angel stayed until something died, one more murder suicide

Even though there's no reason to remake it since it's almost perfect the way it is (I know, it hasn't stopped 'em before), I bet you haven't heard about a planned remake of Song of the South.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Have you seen the page before this? If not, go ahead, you'll get a real thrill.

I do have more news though.

The Next Three Days (French remake of Pour Elle) Paul Haggis writing and directing.

Barbarella Robert Luketic is now linked as director.

Total Recall Kurt Wimmer has been commissioned to write a script for Columbia's remake.


And, no, no planned remake of Song Of The South in the air, mark.