Yesterday, MTV announced that it was developing a “reinvention” of one of the most beloved franchises of the 1980s. No, not Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not Friday the 13th. Not even RoboCop. They’re reinventing Teen Wolf.
Look, I get that werewolves are hot right now thanks to Taylor Lautner and Twilight. And it only makes sense that with our current obsession with vampires (from Robert Pattinson’s soulful, sparkly, dreamy-eyed Edward Cullen stares to True Blood’s neck-biting orgies), werewolves would logically become the next big marketing opportunity. But really? Teen Wolf?!
For those of you too young to remember, Michael J. Fox’s 1985 original was actually a really fun film. Cheesy and stupid, sure, but fun. And Fox, hot off of the double-whammy of Family Ties and Back to the Future, sold the whole awkward doofus-transforms-into-hairy-BMOC conceit like a pro. Actually, I’d even go so far as to say that Teen Wolf is the Citizen Kane of lycanthropic puberty flicks.
But by the time the 1987 sequel rolled around, Fox’s career had understandably gotten too big to revisit the role of Scott Howard and the studio moved on to Jason Bateman to play his college-bound cousin. Now, no offense to Jason Bateman — I love Jason Bateman — but back in 1987, Jason Bateman wasn’t Jason Bateman yet. And, not surprisingly, Teen Wolf Too blew. If the first film was a complex metaphor for the scariness of slipping from boyhood into manhood (what with the sprouting fur and confusing changes), Bateman’s turn at bat was a total whiff — too much of a mess to come with metaphorical meaning. It’s just a series of lame, reheated college gags.
And the less said about the animated Teen Wolf cartoon, the better.
All of which begs the question: Is there really any story left in the Teen Wolf saga to tell? Well, MTV says that it intends to focus their new show more on horror than comedy — more on the werewolf mythology — which makes sense, I guess. But if they eighty-six the giddy, stupid joy of a lupine Michael J. Fox going in for a dunk on the high school basketball court, or sinking his fangs into a beer can, or playing air guitar and doing handstands on top of a speeding van, then they can count this Teen Wolf fan out.
What do you think? Is resurrecting Teen Wolf a good idea?
Comments (1-15) of 26 Add your comment
Ah, c’mon, the cartoon was fun! http://bit.ly/23pGwI
I’ll tell you what I think. Lame
One of the best articles ever on the internet was an article about how selfish of a basketball player Teen Wolf was. It’s a must read.
lol… that is hilarious
It sounds to me like every other “reimagining” or “reboot” or whatever word you want to use for the complete dearth of creativity in Hollywood. They don’t want to remake Teen Wolf. They want to make a werewolf movie and the easiest way to get money for a crap idea is to slap a familiar name on top of it.
Hey, it’ll probably be better than Twilight.
This will only work if Michael J. Fox is the dad and Zac Efron is the son.
Until then, I don’t want anything to do with this.
MTV keeps doing anything that does not involve music. The idea and the channel is lame.
First Lost Boys, now Teen Wolf? When are they going to give it a rest? They need to leave these great classic movies alone!
It was already done. See “Big Wolf on Campus” and behold true suckage.
Man… there’s really no more ideas left in Hollywood, is there?
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I loved MJ Fox and Teen Wolf, what a fun, campy movie!!!
Why oh why do they have to keep redoing these movies only to RUIN them!!! I understand Star Trek, that series needed to have a new twist for this newer generation but Footloose and now Teen Wolf, why do they have to keep ruining classics?!?!?!
OMgosh not another Teen Wolf. Enough already!
RT
http://www.anonymous-web.be.tc
I saw TWToo at the theater when I was 10…my brother and I loved it – we were the only people in the theater and we ran all over, jumped on the “stage”…I don’t remember anything about the actual movie.
“Teen Wolf” remake? The apocalypse has just begun!
you are clueless. teen wolf is classic, vintage new wave flick. the cartoon ruled the 80’s on sat. morning too. don’t you know anything?…sorry…