Hollywood is (Still) In Love with the 1980's with These Reboots

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Edited By ZombiePie  Staff

Hollywood is an unusual and curious place where numerous men and women pool their collective ideas together to try and entertain the masses. However time and time again the masses have shown that they sometimes prefer to be entertained by something that is familiar as oppose to something that is new and original, Transformers: Rise of the Fallen as well as Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince should be seen as proof of this. And if the reports of numerous Hollywood sources are correct then the 1980's are not immune to this. With the last Indiana Jones film, reboots of films from the 80's have proven to be successful, even though the quality of these projects is questionable. With that I wish to showcase some of the confirmed reboots to some 80's "classics." Some have potential, others seem futile, and a few just shouldn't be made period.

 
 
Romancing the Stone

No Caption Provided
  
– Reports are conflicted on whether or not Romancing the Stone will be remade with a new cast or whether or not a sequel with some of the original cast called Racing the Monsoon is in the works. However numerous reports have indicated that something involving the Romancing the Stone franchise is in pre-production.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: It was just plain fun.
  

Wall Street 2 

No Caption Provided
 
 -From what I have heard this movie sounds extremely enticing. Olvier Stone will direct and Michael Douglas will reprise his role as Gordon Gekko. The story takes place in the far fetched year of 2008, where an older Gordon Gekko is trying to warn Wall Street of an impending crisis. Despite being fresh out of his 20 year jail sentence Gekko picks up a student whom he mentors (played by Shia LaBeouf). Filming is rumored to have already have started and the film has a tentative release date of August 2010
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Good acting and an original and interesting premise.

 
 
 
Footloose

No Caption Provided


 - Paramount Pictures has green lit a re-make of Footloose and filming will begin in 2010. Kenny Ortega will direct the film and Chance Crawford (Gossip Girl) will play the male lead. Apparently professional dancer Julianne Hough, from Dancing with the Stars fame, will play Ariel.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Fuck if I know, I thought the film was terrible the first time around…Maybe it was the music.

 
 
Nightmare on Elm Street

No Caption Provided
 
  – Yup… if you didn’t see this re-make coming with all of these horror re-makes already releasesd then you obviously are dense in the head. Samuel Bayer will direct and Michael Bay will produce…If there is one sign of hope it is that Jackie Earle Haley, Rorschach from the Watchmen film, will play Freddie.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around:Gore and films of its kind where popular when the original Nightmare on Elm Street was released.

 
 
 
 
Dune

No Caption Provided


- Not so much a re-make of David Lych’s take of the novel, but rather it’s going to be another attempt to try and translate the Dune universe into a film. No significant details are know but apparently the project has been green lit and I’m hopeful.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: The source material. Dune is a great book; the film may have had some issues but the book still remains and interesting work that has potential to be turned into an amazing film.

  
 

The Karate Kid 

No Caption Provided
– The re-make is titled (and I’m not kidding you) The Kung Fu Kid. The film is being produced by Will Smith and (surprisingly) is starring Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith. The film is going to come out summer of 2010. If there is one thing I can say that sounds interesting Jackie Chan is said to be playing Mr. Miyagi.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Like Romancing the Stone, The Karate Kid was just plain fun.
 

 
 
 
Robocop 

No Caption Provided


– It’s rumored to be halted at the moment but I’m still putting this one on the list. MGM refused to answer any questions about the movie other than that it is in fact happening and will come out for summer of 2010. For those that are skeptical here’s something to mull around about, Darren Aronofsky is supposedly the director for the re-make.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Robocop was badass, and for an action flick in the 1980’s had a surprisingly good story.

 
 
 
The Big Chill 

No Caption Provided


– The remake is going to be retitled (though to what is unkown), but Screen Gems is adamant about remaking the baby boomer comedy. Variety has reported that the film is going to be contemporary and star an all African American family.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: It was a comedy...staring baby boomers...set in the 1980's....I really don't see the point in re-making this film.

 
 
 
Arthur 

No Caption Provided


(1981 Dudley Moore film) 
– It’s a remake that will star Russell Brand as the lead role. Everything else, including the time frame and director are unknown.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: I wouldn’t know because I haven’t seen the film. I hear it’s funny…
 

 
 
 
The NeverEnding Story 

No Caption Provided


– A remake has been confirmed for 2012, and other than that nothing else is known about the re-make.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: The first film was one of the few true Fantasy masterpieces. Everything about the original screams nostalgia for me, with the Where the Wild Things Are movie looking great I’m optimistic about this re-make.
 

 
 
 
Red Dawn 

No Caption Provided


– FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKK! WHY? The Cold war is over!
Well despite my complaints the film will feature a relevant threat to America, and blah blah blah this movie shouldn’t happen and the less I talk about it the better.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Nothing, the original was terrible even if you watch it with glasses full of fear of communist Russians. And if anyone posts "WOLVERINE!!!" on my blog I'm going to come over to you and cut you.
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#1  Edited By ZombiePie  Staff

Hollywood is an unusual and curious place where numerous men and women pool their collective ideas together to try and entertain the masses. However time and time again the masses have shown that they sometimes prefer to be entertained by something that is familiar as oppose to something that is new and original, Transformers: Rise of the Fallen as well as Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince should be seen as proof of this. And if the reports of numerous Hollywood sources are correct then the 1980's are not immune to this. With the last Indiana Jones film, reboots of films from the 80's have proven to be successful, even though the quality of these projects is questionable. With that I wish to showcase some of the confirmed reboots to some 80's "classics." Some have potential, others seem futile, and a few just shouldn't be made period.

 
 
Romancing the Stone

No Caption Provided
  
– Reports are conflicted on whether or not Romancing the Stone will be remade with a new cast or whether or not a sequel with some of the original cast called Racing the Monsoon is in the works. However numerous reports have indicated that something involving the Romancing the Stone franchise is in pre-production.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: It was just plain fun.
  

Wall Street 2 

No Caption Provided
 
 -From what I have heard this movie sounds extremely enticing. Olvier Stone will direct and Michael Douglas will reprise his role as Gordon Gekko. The story takes place in the far fetched year of 2008, where an older Gordon Gekko is trying to warn Wall Street of an impending crisis. Despite being fresh out of his 20 year jail sentence Gekko picks up a student whom he mentors (played by Shia LaBeouf). Filming is rumored to have already have started and the film has a tentative release date of August 2010
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Good acting and an original and interesting premise.

 
 
 
Footloose

No Caption Provided


 - Paramount Pictures has green lit a re-make of Footloose and filming will begin in 2010. Kenny Ortega will direct the film and Chance Crawford (Gossip Girl) will play the male lead. Apparently professional dancer Julianne Hough, from Dancing with the Stars fame, will play Ariel.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Fuck if I know, I thought the film was terrible the first time around…Maybe it was the music.

 
 
Nightmare on Elm Street

No Caption Provided
 
  – Yup… if you didn’t see this re-make coming with all of these horror re-makes already releasesd then you obviously are dense in the head. Samuel Bayer will direct and Michael Bay will produce…If there is one sign of hope it is that Jackie Earle Haley, Rorschach from the Watchmen film, will play Freddie.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around:Gore and films of its kind where popular when the original Nightmare on Elm Street was released.

 
 
 
 
Dune

No Caption Provided


- Not so much a re-make of David Lych’s take of the novel, but rather it’s going to be another attempt to try and translate the Dune universe into a film. No significant details are know but apparently the project has been green lit and I’m hopeful.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: The source material. Dune is a great book; the film may have had some issues but the book still remains and interesting work that has potential to be turned into an amazing film.

  
 

The Karate Kid 

No Caption Provided
– The re-make is titled (and I’m not kidding you) The Kung Fu Kid. The film is being produced by Will Smith and (surprisingly) is starring Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith. The film is going to come out summer of 2010. If there is one thing I can say that sounds interesting Jackie Chan is said to be playing Mr. Miyagi.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Like Romancing the Stone, The Karate Kid was just plain fun.
 

 
 
 
Robocop 

No Caption Provided


– It’s rumored to be halted at the moment but I’m still putting this one on the list. MGM refused to answer any questions about the movie other than that it is in fact happening and will come out for summer of 2010. For those that are skeptical here’s something to mull around about, Darren Aronofsky is supposedly the director for the re-make.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Robocop was badass, and for an action flick in the 1980’s had a surprisingly good story.

 
 
 
The Big Chill 

No Caption Provided


– The remake is going to be retitled (though to what is unkown), but Screen Gems is adamant about remaking the baby boomer comedy. Variety has reported that the film is going to be contemporary and star an all African American family.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: It was a comedy...staring baby boomers...set in the 1980's....I really don't see the point in re-making this film.

 
 
 
Arthur 

No Caption Provided


(1981 Dudley Moore film) 
– It’s a remake that will star Russell Brand as the lead role. Everything else, including the time frame and director are unknown.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: I wouldn’t know because I haven’t seen the film. I hear it’s funny…
 

 
 
 
The NeverEnding Story 

No Caption Provided


– A remake has been confirmed for 2012, and other than that nothing else is known about the re-make.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: The first film was one of the few true Fantasy masterpieces. Everything about the original screams nostalgia for me, with the Where the Wild Things Are movie looking great I’m optimistic about this re-make.
 

 
 
 
Red Dawn 

No Caption Provided


– FFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKK! WHY? The Cold war is over!
Well despite my complaints the film will feature a relevant threat to America, and blah blah blah this movie shouldn’t happen and the less I talk about it the better.
 
What Made it Special the First Time Around: Nothing, the original was terrible even if you watch it with glasses full of fear of communist Russians. And if anyone posts "WOLVERINE!!!" on my blog I'm going to come over to you and cut you.
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#2  Edited By Lies

 

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#3  Edited By Lies

Also:
 
 

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#4  Edited By HandsomeDead

I am completely up for a RoboCop reboot. With everything since the original film being horrible and completely missing Verhoeven's point, a complete rehaul by the right guy could be something special.

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#5  Edited By ysselzor

  The Kung Fu Kid sounds like it will be a fun movie 
i just watched the  The Karate Kid on tv last night and there's  some epic 
montages 

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#6  Edited By iam3green

noo, i just have to say that when we are going to be older we will be more remakes. it's sad to read more remakes, especially the karate kid. the movie was awesome to watch. 
 
hollywood is going to be making another holloween 2 movie. it's going to be made by rob zombie. he does make badass movies of horrible but don't make remakes of good movies.

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#7  Edited By ZombiePie  Staff
@Lies: You motherfucker.
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#8  Edited By TheKidNixon

They talked about this on Out of the Game semi-recently. Their analysis of this was basically that right now, given the general economic tightness everyone is going through, expect more and more rehashes and recognizable IP's, attempting to cash in on people's nostalgia as well as giving them something familiar. And as we enter a new decade next year, our cultural obsession will shift once again, now taking a hard look at the 90s and what we can stripmine from there. (Early prediction: Baywatch movie.)

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#9  Edited By Lies
@ZombiePie said:
" @Lies: You motherfucker. "
Seriously how can you not like Red Dawn? It's the ultimate campy action movie. At the beginning, when all the Russians are parachuting down and the principal goes out and they just shoot him in the face? That scene is awesome!
 
Oh man it's been too long since I last watched Red Dawn.
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#10  Edited By CL60

I would love a robocop reboot.

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#11  Edited By ZombiePie  Staff
@TheKidNixon: I guess me and the guys on that podcast read the same Variety article. I would say that that opinion is sound. Even though some of these re-make sound terrible some have potential if put in the right hands.
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#12  Edited By Emilio

I'm am interested in this Aronofsky RoboCop, the Kung Fu Kid, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Wall Street 2.

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#13  Edited By ZombiePie  Staff
@Lies: You see I'll never understand the concept of "It's so bad it's good." Why not just watch a good movie? Camp can be done well and is tolerable if it is intentional. If camp is unintentional it's just stupid, and in the end that's how I feel about Red Dawn, it's stupid.
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Eh.......I'm not really interested in any of these besides Elm Street. I have a moderate level of hope that the Elm Street re-make will be good. Why? Well, I was one of those tiny groups of people who thought that the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre re-make was better than the original. Why? Well, to be honest, the original isn't all that fuckin' scary. There. I said it. I know my status as a horror fan is seriously being questioned right now, but hear me out. Marcus Nipsel directed the TCM re-make. Prior to TCM, Nipsel worked exclusively on music videos, which is exactly what Bayer has been doing. While the fact that he's a music video director doesn't really scream "horror director", I feel like he should be given a fair shake. The two stills that have come out look good, and Jackie Earle Haley just seems perfect for the role, the only piece leaving me sour here is Michael Bay's attachment. I've seen the Platinum Dunes Friday the 13th re-boot and liked it quite a bit (though I understand why many hated it), but I just hope he doesn't have a huge influence over the picture, because the last thing we need is Freddy and Optimus Prime dooking it out at the top of the empire state building whilest the building is crumbling and the city around them is on fire.  
 
/rant.

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#15  Edited By Claude

If Footloose gets a remake, they better remake Flashdance.
 

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#16  Edited By Dalai

The 80s well will run dry once Howard the Duck gets remade.

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#17  Edited By EVO

 

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#18  Edited By yakov456

I'm so against the Karate Kid remake that I'm contemplating protesting in front of the theater! Morita needs to crane kick that little fuck.

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#19  Edited By ZombiePie  Staff
@EVO: Jesus I didn't even know that that movie existed. 

@Claude: Please don't give Hollywood any ideas...
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#20  Edited By MrMuise
@ZombiePie:  Ideas is exactly what Hollywood needs
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#21  Edited By AgentofChaos

WOLVERINES!!! (come and get me)

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#22  Edited By penguindust

I heard that Wargames was getting a look at for a reboot.  and, it's no secret that Clash of the Titans is coming out. Also there were rumors of new scripts for updated versions of Excalibur, Cliffhanger and another live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.   IMBD has a listing for Short Circuit for 2010.  There are many a rumor surrounding a new Conan the Barbarian. Then there are the numerous prequels and sequels related to 80s films including Tron,  Alien, and The Last Starfighter.  Honestly, I saw the originals, and few of these remakes appeal to me.  The least of which would be the proposed Weird Science update.  The only film I've heard that was getting a treatment that interested me was the rumored Akira live-action film.
 
For anyone who's interested here's the Fame (2009) trailer...no Irene Cara, though.

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#23  Edited By KaosAngel

There are NOT making "The Karate Kid" again...
...there is NO way they're redoing that.  WTF?!
 
GAAAHlzj;ljsdfljsal;fjl;sadjflashflksadlfhl;asdjfasdf

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#24  Edited By Megalon

Oh man this just made my day a little less smiles. I don't want to see a damn Jackie Chan/ mini Will Smith Karate Kid remake. Same with Robocop and Neverending Story. You don't touch classics, damnit. 

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#25  Edited By RHCPfan24

They are making a BIg Chill remake? H-h-how? That movie was FOR its era, you can't make a 21st century version of that. Damn. 
 
Still, a new, thought-out Robocop film has me excited. Robocop is one of my favorite action movies ever and if there is actually effort in this film unlike 2 and especially 3, this could actually be somewhat awesome.

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#26  Edited By neoepoch

I wouldn't necessarily say that they love the 80's. More like they can't really come up with original ideas that aren't total crap. Thus to go back to an age where they can mine nostalgia and hopefully get a brand new audience that is "hip to the square". Thus they garner millions from the nostalgic and the young and foolish.
 
While this nostalgic is getting more and more pissed off that they can't do anything original and feel the need to take craps on everything we liked.

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#27  Edited By wfolse1
@Everyones_A_Critic: While I can't agree that the Nispel's TCM was better than the original, it was certainly watchable, and there are even some really good moments.  The Friday the 13th remake was pretty decent as well, but I really don't like the original at all so I had no real expectations.   
 
The Nightmare remake worries me however.  I think the reason this is a little bit dangerous is that Freddie Krueger is such a dynamic and iconic character.  As much as I love Leatherface or Michael Myers, it doesn't really matter how many people play them because they are mute and masked.  Freddie has character.  His menacing grin and perverse sense of humor is a humongous part of why the character is so memorable, and Robert Englund is absolutely responsible.  I do think Jackie Earle Haley is a pretty good choice though, and after the weird post-modern New Nightmare (which is easily the best film since the first), the series doesn't really have anywhere to go, and starting over seems like the only option.  I'll be there on opening night.
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#28  Edited By Jiggah

A Robocop reboot is just stupid.  The original is fantastic and still stands up.  Peter Weller was extremely important to the role.

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#29  Edited By JJOR64

They are remaking the Karate Kid?  Fuck that.

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#30  Edited By ZombiePie  Staff
@RHCPfan24: Like I said in the summary the Big Chill is going to be renamed and take place in a contemporary time period and star an all black group of family friends.
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#31  Edited By ponyslayer
Wolverines!
 
red dawn is great campy fun, though i don't see a remake capturing that  same absurdness
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#32  Edited By RHCPfan24
@ZombiePie: Yeah I saw that but STILL that movie is its own thing. It is going to be like the epic failure that was the new Fat Albert movie. Some things belong untouched youknowwhatimean?
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#33  Edited By Cerza

Oh man... I remember almost all of those movies... I don't want to see them again... especially in rebooted retooled remade modern form. Why can't they reboot something good? Like Samurai Pizza Cats.
 
 

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@wfolse1 said:
"@Everyones_A_Critic: While I can't agree that the Nispel's TCM was better than the original, it was certainly watchable, and there are even some really good moments.  The Friday the 13th remake was pretty decent as well, but I really don't like the original at all so I had no real expectations.    The Nightmare remake worries me however.  I think the reason this is a little bit dangerous is that Freddie Krueger is such a dynamic and iconic character.  As much as I love Leatherface or Michael Myers, it doesn't really matter how many people play them because they are mute and masked.  Freddie has character.  His menacing grin and perverse sense of humor is a humongous part of why the character is so memorable, and Robert Englund is absolutely responsible.  I do think Jackie Earle Haley is a pretty good choice though, and after the weird post-modern New Nightmare (which is easily the best film since the first), the series doesn't really have anywhere to go, and starting over seems like the only option.  I'll be there on opening night. "
New Nightmare, though pretty weird, was one of the highlights of the series. Haley has already brought one of my favorite characters, Rorschach to life beautifully, so I have faith that he'll be a fine replacement for Englund (though if Englund were to return to the series it'd be more than welcome from me). I do agree with you on the difference between Freddy and other horror slashers, he has a lot more personality than most of them. It's like the Child's Play re-make. Child's Play is one of my personal favorites, and I'm glad Don Mancini (the original writer) will be directing and Brad Douriff (spelling?) will return to voice Chucky. Apparently it's going to have prequel elements to it as well, perhaps fleshing out Charles Lee Ray's backstory as the infamous Lakeshore Strangler. Details have been skim thus far, but if I have faith in one franchise re-boot, it's this one. After Seed of Chucky the franchise needs a good boot in the ass.