The following was originally posted on She Geeks and has been republished here with permission.
There have been a lot of remakes and reboots happening in the film industry lately. Between children’s shows like Jem and the Holograms and The Power Rangers, traditional movie reboots like Godzilla and Spider-Man, or more controversial titles like The Crow and (the recently announced) The Craft remakes, it can certainly feel like nothing is “safe” from being given another go on the big screen (do not even get me started on the $200 million Navy recruitment abomination that was Battleship). In 2014 there were 47 remakes and sequels released*, not counting stage or novel adaptations. As of May 2015, we’ve already had 15 with at least another 30 scheduled to be released.
The pervasiveness of remakes and sequels is undeniable. Some stories and characters are so popular on film that it’s difficult to get an accurate count of how many have been produced. The story of the Greek demi-god, Hercules in particular has been made into at least 37 films (though not all of those graced the big screen), and no less than 4 television series. In 2014 alone we saw the release of not one, but two Hercules movies:
Both of which apparently involved some serious shit happening to Hercules’ left.
Now, chances are the sheer number of remakes, reboots, and even sequels would be better received if more of them were, well,good. If you’re going to produce a remake or sequel, it should either accurately portray its source material, or actually manage to improve upon it. More often than not, however, what we end up getting is either a dumbed-down version of a story with about as much substance as an episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, an unnecessarily “gritty” version of a story, or something that resembles the original in name only. As an example, the trailer for the upcoming Jem and the Holograms movie (or as I like to call it, Josie and the Pussycats 2: All of the Cliches, None of the Fun!) was met with a tidal wave of criticism for how far removed from the original it appears to be. (I could go on for hours about all the reasons the trailer caused such an internet stir, but Cat Conway already summed it up brilliantly for The Mary Sue, so save us both some time and go check out her piece.)
Zero fun is being had by the Holograms.
So, why are we seeing so many remakes and sequels, and why do they so often stray from their source material? These are questions that plague me every time a new remake is announced, so I decided to turn to an insider for some answers by reaching out to writer/director/general badass Lexi Alexander. In addition to a reputation for openly speaking her mind, with titles like Green Street Hooligans and Punisher: War Zone on her resume, Alexander has personal experience with original stories and remakes alike, so I reached out to her for some answers:
TMS: From a film making stand-point, is it easier to retell/reboot an established story than to try and tell a new one?
Alexander: No, creative people function better when they can create freely. I think every writer/director would prefer to tell an original story, something that can surprise people and something that can’t be measured up against a predecessor.
TMS: The recent trailer for Jem and the Holograms garnered instant backlash for having little in common with the original cartoon except the character names and the use of music. Why do you feel some reboots stray wildly from their source material?
Alexander: Because they don’t want to be reboots. Somebody probably told the writer or director, “Okay, we’ll finance you a (add genre) movie, but it has to somewhat relate to Jem and the Holograms.
TMS: In your opinion as a movie-goer (not as a director), are remakes fun or cringe-worthy?
Alexander: There are very, very few movies that called for a remake or were made better with a reboot. The fact that we’re producing them en masse right now kills the appetitive for those few.
The logic is strong with this one. It’s not exactly shocking that this all comes down to money, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to those of us who crave original content.
*Criteria: Not an original story/title/character – Based on a game or TV show – National release
Eris Walsh (@SheGeeksBlog) is obsessed with Batman, Neil Gaiman, chemistry, Doctor Who, and baseball. She also enjoys scouring conventions for fantastic examples of cosplay craftsmanship and discussing role-playing games (both table top and LARP), comics, movies, etc. with other enthusiasts. Eris can also be found on her blog She-Geeks, where she writes about geek stuff; On Comicosity, where she posts comic book reviews; and on the Krewe du Who community webpage, where she posts weekly reviews of current Doctor Who episodes.
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