Reboots and Revivals: 3 that worked and 3 that failed
Chase Bridges, Assistant Editor
Getting people to go out to the theatres and spend money on tickets is not an easy feat nowadays. If movie studios are going to take the gamble of funding a multi-million dollar film, they want to make sure they are making a smart investment.
The easiest way to make sure your film is going to make its money back is by making a movie that targets nostalgia. The easiest way to do this is by bringing back movies that were big hits in the past and remaking or reviving them for a modern audience.
For example, take a beloved franchise such as Back to the Future and make a brand new movie for it. It is such a beloved franchise that when it comes out, everyone will be in the movies watching.
So which of these movie reboots and revivals from the past few years are busts? And which of them actually add something to the history of the franchises?
WORKED: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011)
The original movie “Planet of the Apes” came out in 1968. The film is based on a science fiction novel, and stars Charlton Heston as an astronaut who ends up on a planet that is run by apes.
The movie is best known for its twist ending that shocked audiences everywhere. The movie was first rebooted in 2001 by Tim Burton, but it failed miserably. However, when Rise of the Planet of the Apes came out in 2011 it was a huge success. Making over $400 million in the box office and spinning off two sequels.
FAILED: THE MUMMY (2017)
While “The Mummy” has had several reboots ever since the original film in 1932, the most recent reboot in 2017 was a major disaster. Starring Tom Cruise in the leading role, the movie was a total critical flop. With only a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, Variety called it “Too busy to be much fun.”
The film was supposed to set up a cinematic universe around the Universal monster movies; however, the film was so terribly received that the studios scrapped their plans and started over.
WORKED: LITTLE WOMEN (2019)
The original “Little Women” film from 1994 has become a true classic. So when Greta Gerwig rebooted it in 2019 audiences were hesitant. But the movie blew past everyone’s expectations with an amazing 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The reboot made over $200 million in the box office, and set up the careers of young actors and actresses like Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh.
FAILED: GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)
“Ghostbusters” is a 1984 comedy classic starring some of SNL’s biggest stars at the time. It spawned a few sequels but in 2016 a complete reboot came out. This reboot tried to follow the original formula by casting some of SNL’s biggest stars, however they went with female stars this time.
The movie came out to mixed reviews, with a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film could be seen as a financial success as it did make over $200 million at the box office.
This film was not terrible, but it had to live up to the expectations of one of the most beloved comedies from the 80’s – something it fell flat in doing.
WORKED: TRUE GRIT (2010)
“True Grit” originally came out in 1969 starring western legend John Wayne. The western follows a U.S. Marshall on his journey into Native American territory on a rescue mission.
The film was rebooted in 2010 by the Coen Brothers. Jeff Bridges took over for John Wayne in the leading role, and it proceeded to blow the original out of the water. It not only made more money than the original, with over $250 million in the box office. But it also has a better Rotten Tomatoes score than the original with a 95%.
This reboot is considered by most people to be better than the original film. Something that is not a common occurrence.
FAILED: MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL (2019)
“Men in Black,” the 1997 film that pushed Will Smith into superstardom got its own reboot in 2019. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, the film claimed to bring new life to the franchise by adding the “international” title.
The movie was destroyed by critics, getting a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it proved the studio’s point of view by making $250 million in the box office. The terrible reviews mean we probably won’t ever see a sequel to this reboot – but maybe that’s a good thing.
*Featured Image: Movie theatre seats. – Photo Courtesy of Unsplash.com.
