The film and television industry is so obsessed with rebooting things at the moment, I’m beginning to think they’re being run by Windows 97. It’s no wonder they’re increasingly turning to established properties in a wave of risk aversion amidst growing budgets, and the lie that revenues are dwindling. But when you see something like this, it’s a bit disheartening …
Is returning to a franchise, or raiding one from another medium that risk free though? For every Star Trek, there’s a Total Recall, surely? I look forward to some of them, with trepidation, like Ghostbusters, and some I just roll my eyes at, like the Lethal Weapon TV series (unless Shane Black is involved maybe), or 23 Jump Street Men In Black (an actual thing). And some don’t even make it beyond the early stages. I’m really keen to see Shawn Ryan’s take on a Beverly Hills Cop TV show for example.
It’s not a new phenomenon of course. Remember this travesty?
Makes me ill every time I see it.
I think there might be a few series or movies I’d like to see remade, rebooted, or revived though. And here they are, in a handy list form.
FLETCH – for the longest time, Kevin Smith has been talking about returning to the books and remaking Fletch. It’s a neat idea, and I’d love to see something come of this, even without Smith’s involvement. Not sure who I’d cast in the lead though. Eddie Murphy maybe, channelling a bit of Axel?
WHITE HOUSE DOWN 2: WHITE HOUSE DOWNER – Considerably better than the humourless Olympus Has Fallen, the first movie was good fun, and actually a pretty solid entry in the Die Hard canon. It’s certainly better than Die Hard We Can Cure Radiation With Spray. Channing Tatum was good, Jamie Foxx was too. Deserves a sequel.
THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY – probably more interested in seeing a new TV version of this than another attempt at the big screen though.
KEEPING UP APPEARANCES – a prequel, in the style of Rock & Chips, focussing on how Richard completely fell in love with Hyacinth, and became devoted to her in spite of all her foibles. I strongly suspect that Sheridan is a figment of her imagination …
MULBERRY SERIES THREE – if only because of this …
