From movie remakes to prequels, franchises, and live-action adaptations, Hollywood is clearly not interested in new intellectual property anymore. While reboots and franchising sequels are met with a range of mild curiosity to total indifference, movie remakes are often frowned upon. Successes like the acclaimed Dune and A Star Is Born remain the exception to the rule, but the vast majority never seem to hit the mark. What’s more concerning is that nobody asked for them!
Footloose (2011)
1984’s Footloose follows a young man who, upon moving to a new town, finds that dancing is outlawed among its teenage population. Soon after, he sets out to bring life back to the youth. The original was a cultural reset with an iconic soundtrack, and what is probably still Kevin Bacon’s most iconic role. This is one of the reasons why the remake was considered mediocre by many. The plotline of a teen culture that loved to dance didn’t translate to a modern audience. Moreover, the movie didn’t even have a great soundtrack, becoming one of the least impressive remakes out there.
Carrie (2013)
Many disappointing movie remakes tend to fail because they deviate too far from the original. However, 2013's Carrie was disliked by fans for a completely different reason. The movie lacked originality and brought nothing new to the story of a young girl coming to terms with her changing body in a harsh world. Carrie White’s story was already perfectly told in the 1976 adaptation, and despite Chloe Grace Moretz’s acting chops, the 2013 version just felt uninspired. Furthermore, while director Kimberly Pierce’s name garnered a lot of interest, the movie fell flat.
The Mummy (2017)
Considering that the 1999 version of The Mummy was a remake itself, and is now a cult classic, you would think that producers would know when to leave a story alone. However, Universal decided to take the comedic tone of the Brendan Fraser-led trilogy and replace it with a grim and too-serious version. Even Tom Cruise couldn't save this critically panned film. The reboot was meant to launch the Dark Universe, Universal's cinematic universe, but its failure led to the entire concept being scrapped.
The Craft: Legacy (2020)
Zoe Lister-Jones’s The Craft: Legacy was marketed as a sequel to 1996’s The Craft. However, the similarities in the plot made it lean closer to yet another entry in the list of unnecessary movie remakes. The Craft: Legacy follows almost the exact plot structure as the original, with a coven of teenage witches getting in over their heads with their newfound powers. Nonetheless, the remake fails to capture the essence that made the original so beloved. Though the movie deserves props for its inclusiveness, many fans simply believe that it was more concerned with being modern than telling a compelling and coherent story. On the other hand, the original was not afraid to be gritty and messy.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
One of the pioneering films of the modern slasher horror genre, 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is still a classic today. And the 2003 version is proof that movie remakes need to take a back seat to the original material. Although the original movie has inspired a wave of sequels and spinoffs, none have been as hated by fans as the 2003 version. It lacked all of the subtle filmmaking choices and underlying social commentary that made the first movie a cult classic.
Ghostbusters (2016)
As far as unwanted movie remakes go, 2016’s Ghostbusters received a lot of undeserved criticism. This mostly boiled down to unchecked racism and misogyny. However, there’s no doubt that the movie fell short of the 1984 film. And while the female-led cast was undeniably talented, the movie was ironically slammed for leaning too hard on comic relief. Overall, it lacked a healthy balance of comedy, science, and action. Furthermore, the movie didn't have a strong enough plot, or a convincing villain. All of this led to Sony following it up with a direct sequel to Ghostbusters 2, essentially erasing the 2016 remake from the franchise’s timeline.
RoboCop (2014)
Robocop (1987) is hailed today as one of the best depictions of a robot character in film. The original Robocop managed to balance its heavy themes of humanity, morality, and consumerism. Moreover, this was done with a healthy dose of action and satire. The 2014 remake’s lack of satire was heavily criticized, completely missing the mark of the original classic. The remake also had a PG-13 rating that didn’t allow it to explore the themes of violence.
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