Many complain that movies at the moment are primarily sequels and remakes of TV shows/movies from the past. Is there merit, story-wise or is it purely a money grab by studios to rehash old ideas instead of trying new things?
I feel like it's a little bit of both. On the one hand re-makes are a nice way to pay respect to the old film. For me it's kind of like a director's cut. If they re-make a really old film today then they can give it everything it tried to have in the first release but couldn't achieve due to limitations in special effects technology, budget, etc. On the other hand, if they don't add anything new to the story-line, character development or twists along the way and really do just re-make it for the better actors/effects then it does not need to be done and is more a money grab for all the old fans to want to watch it remastered and to draw in new fans with the release hype. – Slaidey10 years ago
There are a few variables to consider when asking this question: Who is the director? Who is the producer? What is the film's budget? Personally, I would like to argue that studios are doing re-makes because of a lack of originality among their writers, but I have no professional insight into that matter. If this IS the case, however, then the remakes are just attempts to turn a profit for the companies by producing something rather than nothing. Yet, we also are given remakes that are just as satisfying as the originals (my thoughts jump to the new Star Trek movies). Perhaps this is because of the director's careful integrity to the original films, but it also could be a result of contemporary technology being able to portray better effects. It is risky to play with the story of an older film. Lovers of the original film may not take well to an altered storyline, but they could just as well fall as madly in love with it as the first one. It's a gamble, for sure. Furthering character development would--in theory--be a more palatable method for old fans of the story rather than re-vamping the entire plot. I feel that the new Star Wars film this December will prove an excellent case study for this phenomenon- it is using old material for a new story. – Nicole10 years ago
I feel like it's a little bit of both. We understand that there are so many movies and shows that have done successfully in the industry and have a huge name on every platform. What creators and directors consider in my opinion, while making the decision to recreate or add a sequel, may not only be to amplify that success or showcase the impressive creative media they produced and gives them credibility, but perhaps also to align that creativity with the current time and bring it to an updated level that doesn't make it seem like their productions are all in the past. I think the reasons for sequels and renewing old movies/films is to be remembered and to rerun an old story to bring it back to the world, new and improved or updated, and let the world see it in a different light. – aqsanaveed10 years ago
I think it can be both, however in Hollywood money defiantly seems to be the major factor in any endeavour. I think a key point in any remake is to look at the changes made and look into why they were made. Were they made with careful consideration or just to pander to a modern audience? Some remakes just have the name of the original while others follow the plot with updated and modern scenarios for the given time period. I think remakes are a difficult path to walk, but ultimately I think money is the underlying factor when it comes to remakes because there is an already established audience. – LexzieRulz10 years ago