Source: Eli Joshua Adé/ Universal Pictures / Eli Joshua Adé/ Universal Pictures
Over the past five years or so, it seems as if Hollywood has left their innovative ideas behind in favor of 1990’s remakes. From television to film, reboots have taken over the industry. It’s very rare to see original content by big budget studios these days.
Just a few months after Lion King, Aladdin and Shaft made the box office look like the late 90’s again, reports surface that Issa Rae is set to produce and possibly star in a ‘Set It Off’ remake. According to the Hollywood Reporter, producing with her will be Montrel McKay, Rae’s partner at Issa Rae Productions. But are fans of the 1996 film here for a remake?
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As we’ve seen with Lion King, some remakes actually do big numbers at the box office. But less face it, some movies definitely should have been left alone. Hit the flip to see which film remakes were a hit and which were sadly a miss.
Scarface
The original Scarface film was released in 1932. But obviously, with the technological advancements that took place between the original film’s release and the 1983 remake, the remake became an instant gangster film classic. Besides, Al Pacino as Tony Montana will forever be embedded in the culture.
IT
The 2017 IT remake had so many similarities to the 1990 TV mini-series that it was an instant success at the box office.
Cinderella
The 1997 version of Cinderella is arguably one of the best remakes of all time. Not only did the 90’s TV version feature a star studded cast including Brandy, Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg and more — it made viewers believe that fairytales could also include people of color and diverse families.
Jungle Book
The 2016 version of The Jungle Book was Disney’s first attempt at a live action remake and it superseded everyone’s expectations by cashing out at the box office. Critics say that “physicality is The Jungle Book’s greatest asset,” so the 1967 original didn’t stand a chance against its successor, production wise.
Beauty & The Beast
The 2017 remake of Beauty & The Beast was a progressive version of the 1991 animated classic. The newer, live-action version of the film even features Disney’s first openly gay character.
Shaft
When both the original and the remake are groundbreaking flicks that impact the culture, it’s kind of hard to compare the two. The 2000 version of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson is just as classic and the 1971 version with Richard Roundtree.
21 Jump Street
Although it started out as a TV show in the 80’s, the 2012 film version brought a whole new spin to the classic buddy cop storyline. Casting Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Ice Cube in the movie version only made it that much cooler than the original version.
Here are some remakes that didn’t quite work as well as the originals.
Sparkle
The 2012 version of Sparkle was suppose to be Whitney Houston’s big comeback to acting and Jordin Sparks’ breakout role. Unfortunately, the film was overshadowed by Whitney Houston’s shocking death and never got a fair chance to compete with it’s 1976 predecessor.
The Pink Panther
Beyoncé sure does love a remake. In 2006, she starred in the tenth installment of The Pink Panther franchise, which was a reboot of the 1963 comedy-mystery series. However, fans of the original film weren’t as receptive to the reboot starring Bey and Steve Martin.
Obsessed
Speaking of Beyoncé and her love of remakes, she starred in the 2009 reboot of Fatal Attraction alongside Idris Elba called Obsessed. However, critics say that if it wasn’t for the big names attached to the film, it would just be a basic, cheesy seduction thriller.
Baywatch
You’d think a film starring a shirtless The Rock and Zac Efron would be an instant hit. But fans of the original Baywatch series from the 1990’s were not here for the 2017 remake.
About Last Night
In 2014, Will Packer remade the 1986 classic About Last Night and made it cooler and Blacker than the Rob Lowe and Demi Moore. The only downside is that the film kind of came and went and was overshadowed by the other hundred-thousand Kevin Hart films that came out that year.
