Okay, we realize we’re treading on dangerous ground here with the mere mention of remakes. You’re probably sick of them these days, right? To be fair, Hollywood has been sorely lacking in originality over the first few years – hence the slew of comic book movies, remakes, and adaptations that have graced the big screen over the past decade or so.
Now, we are kind of spun out with remakes by now, but that doesn’t stop us from thinking about the movies that should have remakes. There have been a lot of flicks that haven’t warranted being remade (Carrie anyone?), and others that have had the remake treatment after just a few years (see Spiderman/Batman/Superman). But, these are some of the movies that flopped on original release, but we feel they had a good enough premise to warrant the remake treatment.
The Golden Compass (2007)
Philip Pullman is one of the greatest writers of all time, and his book Northern Lights marked the first installment of a trilogy known as His Dark Materials. The Golden Compass is the sole adaptation of this book that was adapted for the big screen. Unfortunately, the movie diluted many of the core themes of the novel, which led to the movie flopping at the box office. Still, we think the adventures of Lyra Belacqua, her journey to the North Pole, and the origins of the mysterious Dust certainly warrant another attempt at adapting this stunning novel.
Red Sonja (1985)
Attempting to capitalize on the success of the Conan movies, MGM decided to launch their own sword and sorcery franchise, beginning with 1985’s Red Sonja. The movie was widely derided but it seems like the climate would be perfect for a remake of this movie. With the right script, a good budget, and perfect casting, this female-led movie could be box-office gold.
Cutthroat Island (1995)
The movie that sent Coralco Pictures bust, Cutthroat Island is perhaps the movie that best defines the term ‘box office bomb.’ Directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Geena Davis, the movie is considered one of the worst financial failures in movie history, and damn-near killed the pirate genre stone dead. After Pirates of the Caribbean rejuvenated the genre, it might be the perfect time for a Cutthroat Island remake – let’s be honest, Jack Sparrow is getting a little stale.
Timecop (1994)
Maybe we’re biased because we love Van Damme, but Timecop is a highly underrated movie. Splicing action and time travel together, the movie follows a cop who travels back in time to prevent crimes before they occur. We actually dig Timecop, even though the reviews were fairly negative on release, and we reckon the stage is set for a Timecop remake. There have been so many comic book movies released over the last decade, that Timecop would be a nice respite from these superhero flicks.
These are just some of the flops that we reckon are worthy of a remake. Some of these films did poorly on release, while others lit up the box office, but were savaged by critics. Still, we think all of them had something about them, and a great storyline that deserves to be explored again. These movies should all get a modern remake; we’re crossing our fingers at least one of these movies gets the remake treatment.
