With the rise of remake films with all female casts being on an upward trajectory, what are some of the pros and cons for doing this? Does this have an effect on how the viewer rates and discusses the movie? If so, how, why? If not, why not?
I love this question! I don't know the answer. But, here is an an example of how ( I believe) it has been a change for the worst: the recent re-make of the Ghostbusters film. Compared to the 1980's all male ( main character) cast, the women actors seemed overly directed and controlled. They are funny women. They are intelligent and they have have gobs of talent, yet, it seemed they were not allowed to fully flesh out their characters, interact and riff off of each other, nor flex their comedic muscles as freely and fully as their male counterparts ( Murry, Akroid, etc.) did in the original. – Joslyn Robinson6 years ago
This is a good question, especially with the controversy around recent franchises like Star Wars and Ghostbusters. It seems like a double edged sword. On the one hand, having more female representation is better than nothing. On the other hand it could be viewed as being superficial, just a name change at best, or blatantly sexist at worst. Most of the "stick to the text" fundamentalism seems pretty stupid to me, given that there have been far more egregious changes to text (like Spiderman's powers in the Raimi movies, or the revisionist ending to Jurassic Park) without the controversy. In general, it seems better to have more female characters, but it would be better if there were just more roles for women in general from the start. – tedytak6 years ago
Due to the controversy surrounding the new Ghosbusters film, what does it say regarding our society and the relation of fandom to changes in existing franchises and fictional properties? Many recent film examples could be used to explore the current state of film and other media.
I think that a good reboot finds ways to honour the original series. For example, the new "Ghostbusters" has so many great cameos. Also, the story and dialogue felt the same as the originals to me. – Lauren Mead8 years ago
I just think, in many cases, not all, it feels as if people are so lazy that they just sit in a writer's room and discuss old movies they can remake. What about novel ideas? Exploring creative ideas or novel subjects that will draw in crowds? Also, such as with Ghostbusters, this is a difficult one to draw viewers into because younger generations are likely unfamiliar with the movie; whereas older generations love the original, and do not want to see yet another remake. The one time when I feel a remake is apropos is when the filmmakers, and creative team, are truly passionate about the movie and want to give it it's proper cinematic representations. Then I applaud them. – danielle5778 years ago
With the upcoming reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise with an all female main cast, what does this mean in terms of a more feministically diverse story-telling ability. Is this just a way to pacify those that are fighting for more women to have leading roles in a genre that is dominated by men, or can this be a springboard for the next gender flip on classic characters told in a way that conveys that these stories are wanted by audiences across the board?
I was considering suggesting a topic like this myself, but I didn't quite know how to word it. While I am anxious to see how the new (all-Female) Ghostbusters will turn out, along with the recent announcement of a female-centric Ocean's Eleven, I'm concerned if this is going to help or hurt female actors. Because on the one hand, taking one thing that is well-beloved--like Ghostbusters--and changing it as they have has brought on a lot of negative speculation and sexist backlash, which I think would not be quite the same had a female-centric film of some other nature been announced. However, this sort of thing could be the launching point for female-centric films, or films with more female leads in the future. But what will need to happen is this Ghostbusters film needs to present a dynamic between the female cast that is really magnetic, engaging, and lovable, just as the chemistry between the original cast had been, and yet not make it a carbon copy: otherwise, it will feel like a knock-off, and it won't allow the actresses to be set apart as their own characters. So I am both very hopeful, and concerned whether this film will get the results it hopes for. But I am all for films or shows with female leads, because nearly every single one is amazing. "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," "Kiki's Delivery Service," "When Marnie Was There," "Kill Bill Vol. 1," "Coraline," "The Sound of Music," "Anne of Green Gables," The Legend of Korra," just to name my favorites. – Jonathan Leiter8 years ago
Also don't forget the female Expendabelles hanging on the rumor mill. – wolfkin8 years ago