Thoughts on remakes

Reproducing a play, provided none of the script is changed, is one thing. Regarding movies, however, it's agreed that most remakes have proven to be a disaster. Planet of the Apes, Psycho, Body Snatchers and the 1976 remake of King Kong are excellent examples of that. I'd hate to see them remake a classic film such as West Side Story or even Dr. Zhivago or Lawrence of Arabia because remaking such great classics would, imho, just cut the heart and soul right out of them.

Very different, films and stage.

Plays are written to be produced over and over again, obviously. Different companies, different directors, different venues, on and on, hopefully indefinitely, if it's good. A screenplay is written to be made into a film where that single finished product is seen over and over again, hopefully indefinitely, if it's good.



If you've never seen John Barrymore play Hamlet on the stage, it's still Hamlet and hundreds of actors before him and hundreds after him have played the part. But even if thousands saw one production or another, it exists as a moment of time, a live performance. You can compare performances, even from night to night much less production to production be it The Globe Theatre or a High School in Wisconsin, but to steal Billy Shakespeare's line, "the play's the thing". After Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine in Casablanca and it is turned into a memorable masterwork of American cinema, nobody else can just waltz in and expect to be Rick ever again. It's been seen and adored and memorized by millions of viewers.

Big difference. A limitless number and quality and style of Hamlets will brood on the stage in perpetuity, but there's only one Rick Blaine after Bogie.

So while decent film re-makes can be made, it is definitely not the same process or challenge as the stage.



*and yes, I'm well aware that Casablanca is based on an unproduced play. Lucky for them it became immortal cinema

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Aw, now I have to put Casablanca in when i get home, after seeing that screenie!

More 40s-50s classics to be watched this weekend, as I have been on a kick. I think Casablanca next will do just fine...

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the donald sutherland remake is perhaps one of the only remakes i wouldnt have called a disaster the last scene alone made it all worth it

The problem with remakes is that you have generally seen the original so know what is going to happen. There are some exceptions like the remake of The Thing, which was closer to Campbell's original story and nothing like the original B&W film.

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All secrets are safe with this man, because none are as deadly to him as his own. His secret is that he is Richard Kimble. (The Fugitive - Conspiracy of Silence)

I quite liked the remake of Planet of the Apes and wouldn't have minded a sequel, a human in a modern day ape society. Assuming he didn't go straight to the dissection table, imagine some of them accepting him as an outsider while others thought he was a freak. The military want his knowledge of space travel, etc. And add in a few fundamentalists who think he should be killed.

Ok, I'm such a fan of Steve Gerber's original Howard the Duck comic book series from the 1970's, I'd love to see a proper film version of it. The film that was made had a few things right in it, but the characterization was all off and the special effects were shoddy. With today's effects, Howard could be believeable, and I really think that anyone could have written a better script.

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Talk about remake movies, I think it's all about business, which is about how to get as much profit as possible. It's so obvious since film companies love to make remake of successful movies. Yeah, it's easy to make, storyline has already been there. The expectation is that it will be as successful as the original. It sounds easy, but I don't think so. It needs more ideas and creativity to put in to make it interesting for new audience or old one who ever watched that before.
However, remake movies are not really interesting for me. But, honestly, some of them are better than the original.

I was going to start a new thread, but I think that this might be just as good as place for this.

A couple of days ago, I saw Let The Right One In (very good BTW for those who don't know) and, in the discussion afterwards, I wondered how long it would be before Hollywood remade it. When I got home, I looked it up and found that it was already in the pipeline (though now it's to be called Let Me In) and is set for a 2010 release.

That, along with this summers remake of The Taking Of Pelham 123 (a real favourite of mine) got me wondering what else might be being remade? So I took an hour and had a look around. Some I knew were being remade, some I had a vague recollection of hearing about, while others I had no idea at all.

In no order, here's what I came up with.

Red Dawn 2010 Dan Bradley directing a Carl Ellsworth script. It stars Chris Hemsworth and has a release date of 24 September 2010 in the US. Josh Peck and Adrianne Palicki have signed up.
[b]Robocop 2011 Darren Aronofsky directing
Fame 2009 Kevin Tancharoen directing Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, Megan Mullally, Debbie Allen
Straw Dogs 2010 Rod Lurie directing James Marsden. 13th August 2010 release date
Videodrome 2011 Ehren Kruger writing and producing.
The Keep Ehren Kruger writing.
Piranha 3-D 2010 Stars Elizabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Richard Dreyfuss and Ving Rhames. Dina Meyer, Christopher Lloyd and Kelly Brook rumoured. Release date March 2010
Tron (TR2N) 2011 Joseph Kosinski directing Olivia Wilde, Jeff Bridges. John Hurt rumoured.
The Taking Of Pelham 123 2009 Tony Scott directing Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, John Turturro and James Gandolfini.
Forbidden Planet 2010
The Three Stooges 2010 Farelly Brothers directing Sean Penn, Jim Carrey and Benicio Del Toro.
The Karate Kid (Kung Fu Kid) 2010 Harold Zwart directing Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.
Love On A Bet 2010
The Host (Korean remake) 2010 Fredrik Bond directing, Gore Verbinski producing
The Crazies 2010 Breck Eisner directing Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell. Released 26th February 2010
Arthur 2011 Stars Russell Brand
They Live 2011
The Prisoner 2012
A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010 Samuel Bayer directing http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179056/ Release expected in April 2010
The Crow 2011 Stephen Norrington rumoured as both writer and director
The Birds 2011 George Clooney and Naomi Watts rumoured. Martin Campbell directing.
Hellraiser 2011 Pascal Laugier directing
Poltergeist 2011 Vadim Perelman directing
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea 2012
Scandal Makers (Korean remake) 2011
My Fair Lady 2010 Keira Knightley rumoured
Robin Hood 2011 Ridley Scott directing Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchette, Vanessa Redgrave, John Hurt. UK release date of 14 May 2010.
Damn Yankees! 2012
X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes 2012 Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is rumoured to be asked to direct
Evil Dead 2010 Sam Raimi directing. Remake of Evil Dead II
Clash Of The Titans 2010 Louis Leterrier directing Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Danny Huston, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelson. Jason Flemyng and Nicholas Holt rumoured. Expected release date March 2010
Let The Right One In (Let Me In) 2010 Matt Reeves directing
Time Crimes (Spanish remake) 2011 David Cronenburg rumoured.
Death At A Funeral 2010 Neil La Bute directing James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Chris Rock, Martin Laurence, Danny Glover. UK release date June 4th 2010
Conan 2010 Marcus Nispel directing
Red Sonja 2010 Douglas Aarniokoski directing Rose McGowan
Rashomon 2010 Set in modern day America
True Grit 2011 Coen Brothers confirmed and writing script currently. Rumoured to have switched the focus to a 14 year old girl seeking her fathers killer
The Party 2010 Jonathan Kesselman directing
Footloose 2010 Kenny Ortega directing. Chace Crawford. Shooting set to start in March.Hayden Panettiere and Amanda Bynes rumoured. UK release date of June 18th 2010
Drop Dead Fred 2011 Russell Brand
Escape From New York 2009
Alien (Prequel rumoured) Tony Scott, Ridley Scott and Michael Costigan producing. Carl Rinsch directing.
Tell No One (French remake)
The Lone Ranger 2010 Mike Newell directing Johnny Depp. George Clooney rumoured.
Mulan (Live Action) 2010 Jingle Ma directing.
A Moment To Remember 2011 (Korean remake)
Alice In Wonderland 2010 Tim Burton directing Johnny Depp, Michael Sheen, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Steven Fry, Cripin Glover, Christopher Lee
High And Low 2010 Written by David Mamet, directed by Mike Nichols.
Ikiru 2010 Jim Sheridan directing
Seven Samurai 2009
Moby Dick 2011
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 2010
Angel Heart 2011
Night Of The Demons 2009 Adam Gierasch directing Edward Furlong, Shannon Elizabeth, Monica Keena, Tiffany Shepis, Diora Bard and Linnea Quigley.
Children Of The Corn 2009 (TV)
The House In Sorority Row 2009 Stewart Hendler directing Runner Willis, Audrina Patridge, Carrie Fisher
Creature From The Black Lagoon USA 2011
Flash Gordon 2010 Breck Eisner writing & directing.
The Warriors 2010 Tony Scott directing John Amos, Michael Beck and Deborah Van Valkenburgh
I, Claudius 2010 Jim Sheridan directing
The Incredible Mr Limpet 2011 Kevin Lima directing.
The Complete History Of My Sexual Failures 2012
The Dambusters 2010. Peter Jackson maybe taking the roles of both producer and director.
Dorian Gray - 2009 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235124/
A-Team 2010 Joe Carnahan directing Bradley Cooper (Face) and Liam Neeson (Hannibal) Common (BA) rumoured. UK release date of July 30th 2010

Rumoured
The Bobo
Evil Dead IV 2011 I include this just because it appears to be a seperate film from the Sam Raimi sequel/remake
Predator Robert Rodriguez producing the franchise reboot. Franchise to be three films, with the Predator taking on other aliens. Alex Litvak scripting. Nimrod Antal confirmed. Release date announced as July 7th 2010
Near Dark Samuel Bayer directing
Rosemary's Baby
Pinocchio
The Bodyguard Rihanna rumoured.
Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid Tom Cruise rumoured.
Bride Of Frankenstein - 2011 Neil Burger to write and direct.
Guillermo del Toro also has a Bride Of Frankenstein in the works



There's also sequels to Ghostbusters III and Wall Street 2, but I've only included them here because it's been so long since the previous films were made that, IMO, they'll be remakes in all but name anyway. Well, more so than most sequels are anyway.

Now, of course, not all of those are going to be completed (how long have the A-Team and Bodyguard films been knocking around?) but as most of them have an IMBD page and are set for a '09/10 release, that's a lot of remakes over the next couple of years. Add in all the sequels that there'll be (Toy Story 3, the third Da Vinci Code film, T5 etc) and you start to wonder how many 'new' films you'll see anytime soon.

Feel free to add any remake that you've heard about. I'm sure I've missed/didn't find loads of them.

That list makes me sick. I am so tired of these. I'd sooner watch sequels to just about anything, than to see another remake done.

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I'm sure you meant Ghostbusters II. I know what you meant, but you know that at least one person would start to think they missed a movie.

Also, I know Dan Brown's next book will be out shortly, but do you really think they'll do that fast of a turnaround on it? I know you only put it in there as a rumor, but still.

As for the main list, which is a very well put together list if I might add, is an eye opening wreck. I guess with the financial institution being what it is, remakes are the logical safe bet. Although, with so many remakes and "re-imaginings" being hosed by inexperienced directors (some not so in-experienced), studios are more at risk for dumping a lot of money into what they feel is a safe bet that could most likely backfire.

Don't know that there's a need for a remake of Drop Dead Fred, IMO. Of course, now that I think about it, a lot of those movies don't really need a remake. I am mildly interested in RoboCop, though.

One last thing, TR2N isn't a remake, but rather a sequel.

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"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

Why would you want to remake Red Dawn? The original wasn't even good.

Are they going to remake every Kurosawa film or what? Not that a lot of them haven't already been remade. Hollywood lacks originality these days, more so than usual.

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"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."

Remakes 'R' Cool.

I don't mind a remake with a decent director behind it, in certain cases since those i can buy most as 'reimaginanings' not just pap turned out for quick profit. I'm interested to see what Aronofosky brings to Robocop not that that needs remaking the slightest. I'm a big fan of Aja and actually hope for good thins from Pirahna. Hellraiser was pretty inevitable but heard good things from the director, Videodrome won't be the same with CGI replacing prosthetics, ANOES again one of the few big horror names left to not be regurgitating yet- especially worrying considering Englund isn't Freddy.

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You're right, I did. Ditto Wall Street.

I can't be sure, but Tom Hanks has already said that he'd play the character again, so that's one headache dealt with already for the suits. My guess is that they'll wait and see what the film does and, if it pays well enough, they'll be buying the rights to the new Dan Brown book asap. I still expect to see it as a 2010/11 release.

You may, and thank you.

You're right but, like The Warriors, I wonder how much of it will be sequel and how much remake. Maybe they'll be one of those halfway films, like Desperado was to El Mariachi.


BTW, you can cross one of those remakes off the list, as Robert Rodriguez has said today that the Barbarella remake has bitten the dust because Universal wouldn't stump up the $80m needed to make it.

As there was some interest expressed in the Piranha remake (which I'm quite looking forward to, so long as they keep it campy) I'll post some more casting news that has been announced. Jessica Szohr has signed (apparently she's in Gossip Girl) as has Jerry O'Connell. The release date has been announced as March 19, 2010.

The remake on The Italian Job was GREAT! Original all I was doing is ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

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Arnie Cunningham - All of this because some drunk ran over that sh*tter Welch?


Arnie Cunningham- Right up the little tramps @ss!

The original is much better, but I'm happy that you found something to like without puppets or martians. Of course, you slept through the original so you don't really know.

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No I saw it. the ZZZZZ sleeping is a figure of speech. I hateed the original.

But the remake.


Handsome rob: " They shut down napster. Wish they'd do the same to you. " CLASSIC!! LMAO!

I really like the remakes of "the fly" and especially "the thing", but most other horror remakes aren't as good, or remakes in general, they don't bring anything new.