Is reboot-mania getting out of hand? There’s a forthcoming straight-to-cable Scooby-Doo live action movie, featuring young unknowns and none of the actors in the two Sarah Michelle Gellar/Freddie Prinze big-screen releases, about how the Mystery Machine gang got together in the first place. Granted, this should answer some longstanding burning questions (How old are these kids supposed to be? What do they do for money? Why aren’t people who spend all their time debunking the paranormal more freaked out by the fact that their dog can talk?), but it makes me wonder: how much backstory do we really need on our favorite characters?
For instance, I’m both anticipating and dreading the upcoming J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie because, while it’ll be fun to see a young Scotty and Spock, I’m not sure it’ll really add any depth to the characters as we already know them and may even detract, as reductive pop-psychologizing in the movies often tends to do. (I don’t really want to learn that Kirk became a womanizer because of, say, abandonment issues after his father skipped out on his mom.) I know Hollywood would rather milk familiar franchises till they’re dry than come up with new ones, but geez, haven’t we reached the bottom of the barrel yet?.
PopWatchers, are there any franchises you don’t want to see rebooted under any circumstances? Are there franchises you think actually would benefit from a reboot? (And to read EW.com’s new gallery of franchises that need to call it quits, click here!)
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I’d love to see the guys behind FOX’s Drive given the keys to the Cannonball Run franchise. And X-Men definitely need a new reboot to make everyone forget about Ratner’s last stand.
In terms of franchises that should be left alone… definitely the Back to the Future franchise (no Marty and Doc, no movie) and, after Crystal Skull, Indy needs to ride into the sunset and stay there.
What can possibly be made into a live action movie? Probably The Battle of the Planets, aka: G-Force. However, the script has to be better than Speed Racer.
What should not be rebooted? Any and all Hannah Barbera cartoons. After seeing what happened to the Flinstones (which was not that bad, but at the same time not good), Josie and the Pussycats, and especially Scooby Doo, it’s clear that somethings need to be left alone.
Would love, love, LOVE to see a new Buffy movie! I was one of the few who actually liked the original (I thought it was funny), but I adored the TV series, and I know the movie was not what Joss Whedon envisioned at all. It would have to have the cast of the TV series, of course.
I agree on no more Back to the Future or Indy. I love them, they’re part of my growing up experience, but we have closure on those. Also no more Pirates movies. They wrapped those up really well too.
Actually looking forward to Star Trek
(I have a lot of faith in JJ)
Yes.
Franchises that don’t need a reboot:
Rocky
Friday the 13th
Beverly Hills Cop
Star Wars
Franchises that could use a reboot:
Masters of the Universe
G.I. Joe
Ghostbusters
Superman
Franchises I’m on the fence about:
Scream
RoboCop
Terminator
The Smurfs
Eh, has a reboot ever worked? Other than your rare cases of 007 (if you like the new version) and Batman, how often do they really work? Like how many times will the “reboot” the Hulk?
I’m not sure why we need a movie about the original Scooby gang and how they got together. Plus, is there anyone who can play Shaggy better than Matthew Lilliard?
Jackie, I enjoyed the Buffy movie too–I thought that it was campy, silly fun. Then after seeing the series and rewatching the movie, it looked like a horrible mess. I would like to see Joss’s version of the movie, although I don’t see him going back to it. I’d rather see more Firefly/Serenity (well, more Firefly, since I want all of the characters back.) I agree that trying to revisit a movie series 10-20 years after the fact is probably not a good idea. (George Lucas, I’m looking at you.)
I’m looking forward to the ST reboot, too. Since they’re apparently not making any DS9 movies, and I don’t really care about ST:Enterprise movies, a reboot is the best way to get back to the franchise, IMO. I do have reservations about the tech stuff though, and that it’ll end up looking more advanced than what was in TOS.
In my dream world Peter Jackson would create a live action Legend of Zelda movie. I have mixed feelings on the 80s cartoon live action movies that are in the works. GI Joe looks alright thus far but I’m worried about the supposed Voltron live action movie. Voltron was and still is my favorite and I’d love to see a movie that followed the actual lion force with all the characters. Alas, I heard that it’s going to be nothing like the cartoon. I’d also like to see maybe a reboot of Hercules and Xena.
On the otherhand, anything with Stallone in it needs to die.
Joss did make his own version, in comic book form. It’s not in ‘Season Eight’ series out now, but it is in the old series based on Wheldon’s original script. (I think they even added Dawn). Way better than the movie.
Evil Dead. It’s pretty darn perfect the way it is. And I don’t know if this counts, but I’m totally giving the Burns-After-the-Smithers-Kiss eye to the animated Star Wars flick.
Franchises I don’t want to see rebooted but apparently Hollywood is doing anway:
-Smurfs
-Fraggle Rock
By no means should these be made into the live action/cgi movies they are rumored to be. If you miss them, go watch the cartoons/show again.
“Alien Nation” seems right during this age of terrorism. Perhaps it could fill the void that BSG is about to leave.
What is this, a pre-emptive strike to make sure everyone’s on board to hate Abrams’ Star Trek before they even see a trailer?
Okey Dokey. Honestly, I’m pretty weary of this trend myself, but as long as there’s talent behind it like with Abrams and company, I’m fairly sure it has the potential (and probability) to be great. I’m honestly more tired of remakes than reboots. What the hell purpose is there to remake “The Thing” or “Quarantine” for instance.
I forgot a couple movies/franchises they are rebooting that don’t need it:
-The Rocky Horror Picture Show, just thinking about this makes my blood boil
-Adventures in Babysitting
I’d love to see another Alien movie (without Predators) as long as it’s multiple aliens (unlike 1 &3) because it makes the movie more exciting, but I’m not sure if Stan Winston’s death will affect the movie.
I’d also love to see another Bourne movie as long as Matt Damon & Paul Greengrass are involved. Even if Tony Gilroy can’t write the screenplay I don’t think that Damon & Greengrass will do the movie without a top notch script.
I agree with Tom about Cannonball Run. Along those same lines of how about Irwin Allen’s all-star disaster flicks from the 1970’s? Would love to see some of today’s “stars” get crushed in an earthquake.
I need to see a remake/ reimagining of the Mad Max series before I die… as long as its not some cheaply done thing that ends up starring Jason Statham.
Other possibilities that could be remade with limited fear of butchering the originals (mostly because none of them were all that great to begin with):
The Last Starfighter
Krull
Scanners
Wargames
The Beastmaster
It isn’t a franchise but I would like to see They Live given an update.
Punisher does NOT need to be rebooted. The first was fantastic the first time around, and technically he’s a second string guest star and limited runner in the comic books. And it’s not as if the first movie came out 10-20 years ago. It didn’t even get a chance to get sequeled out before it got rebooted.
I’d like to see that Wonder Woman reboot (if it ever gets off the ground) – I loved the 70’s show when I was a kid, but watching it now… it’s saddened me to admit how CRAPPY it was. Same goes for Buck Rogers.
PLEASE, no (more) reboots of:
The Wizard of Oz
The Avengers
Absolutely Fabulous
The A Team
It would make my day to see another Dirty Harry movie, with or without Eastwood.
I would say don’t worry about there being any major background stories for JJ’s Star Trek. I appreciate the guy’s previous shows, but when it comes to his movies (ie. Cloverfield, MI3), there’s not much character-delving. Only beautiful people being… beautiful.
No more reboots of classic TV. Seriously, before some exec gets it in his head to do a big screen version of the Dick Van Dyke show without, you know, Dick Van Dyke.
I want to see “Quantum Leap” get the big screen reboot. Dr. Sam Beckett could be the new Dr. Who.
I don’t mind franchise reboots so long as they are good; take “Batman Begins” & “The Dark Knight” for instance. I could see myself being interested in the new “Star Trek” film. Maybe because Simon Pegg is in it? I won’t judge it until I see a full trailer, though.
maybe The Critic ???
But James Tiberius did become a womanizer because George Kirk abandoned them …… _for SPACE_!
The Jetsons!
Franchises that don’t need rebooting…ever:
“Troll”…as in IMDB’s Bottom 100 “Troll”
“The Smurfs”
“Land of the Lost” (sounds bad already..but who knows)
“Alien vs. Predator”, and while we’re at it, anything starring Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers.
On the subject of Mike Myers, it might be nice to see another “Wayne’s World”,but don’t ever make another “Austin Powers” movie, ever.
Franchises that could use a reboot:
“Ghostbusters” (but I think of the video game as the new movie, so I don’t mind if there’s a movie or not)
“Alice in Wonderland”…I’d kill to see what Guillermo del Toro could do with the classic tale.
Also, on the subject of the “Punisher”…it’s gonna suck. The trailer looks a lot like “Shoot ‘em Up”, except UNINTENTIONALLY funny.
Just read the blurb about Johnny Depp in “Alice in Wonderland 3D”. Sounds awesome, but I’d really love for someone to do a mature take on the story (like “American Mcgee’s Alice”, for instance), and del Toro seems like a great fit.