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For the love of all that’s good, please stop remaking movies.
Hollywood generates billions of dollars a year. Is there really a need to remake movies? Perhaps they should call in Shonda Rhimes or some up-and-coming talent to fill the void of creative ideas.
Now I love The Rock as much as the next woman (that man is some serious eye candy). Worth an estimated $52 million, he has successfully transitioned from the realm of professional wrestling to the big screen. With box office hits like The Game Plan, Furious 7 and San Andreas under his belt, it’s no wonder why Hollywood keeps knocking at his door. It’s estimated his movies earn an average of $92.8 million in theaters, which is pretty amazing.
That doesn’t mean I need to see him as Jack Burton or whoever he plans to play in the upcoming remake of Big Trouble in Little China. It’s okay if you’ve never seen it. It’s an 80s flick that starred Kurt Russell as a witty truck driver who gets caught up in a Chinese street gang battle with mystical elements. In many ways it was a bit cheesy, but still considered a cult favorite in many circles.
This is not a diss to The Rock. Heck if someone decided to pay me millions to play make believe, I might jump on the opportunity as well. My frustration is more with Hollywood and their failure — or unwillingness — to give us moviegoers something new and exciting to see. I guess originality goes out the window when you can regurgitate a previous story line.
Sure there’s probably no such thing as reinventing the wheel; many blockbusters have been based off a book, comic or mythology. Those of us who love cinema can in fact enjoy movies here and there based on an adaptation, but would also like to see a different approach with film.
One of the most recent remakes that comes to mind is Poltergeist that tanked at the box office. Debuting in the number four spot, it has since grossed $38.5 million, which is a far cry from being successful in Tinseltown. Another that premiered in May was Mad Max: Fury Road. Sure it generated some buzz over the “feminism” controversy, but should be very thankful for foreign markets considering it barely made back its investment in the U.S. (It had a $150 million budget with $116.4 million in box office sales). And who can forget Robocop, the random reboot that came out last year? That poor movie had a $100 million budget and only grossed $58.6 million. The list can go on and on with other reboots like Godzilla (2014) and Carrie (2014) that received so-so reviews and box office sales.
On the flip side of the coin, certain reboots delivered a fresh perspective. Many Christopher Nolan fans still thank him today for Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. It’s a far cry from the Boom! Pow! of the TV show. Some also enjoyed the 2014 film About Last Night starring Kevin Hart, Regina Hall and Michael Ealy that grossed $48.6 million at the box office (it had a $12.5 million budget). Did you know that was a remake?
And let’s talk about Annie. This was one of the most controversial reboots considering America’s beloved orphan was portrayed by a person of color (Quvenzhane Wallis). That however did not stop movie goers from supporting the film. It grossed $85.9 million — and scored Wallis a Golden Globe nomination.
With more reboots on the way (Jurassic World, Fantastic Four and reportedly a Jumanji remake), time will tell whether or not folks will grow tired of supporting previously made films. After all, is it wrong to want something new if you’re going to pay a small fortune to see it? Perhaps this is where independent films can step in and gain more eyeballs and award recognition.
