20 Movie Remakes Currently In The Works
Let's be honest, remaking movies can either be a hit or a miss. When it's announced that an already-classic movie is undergoing a reboot, most audiences shake their heads and simply ask "why?" As the saying goes, don't fix what isn't broken. The same goes for movies that maybe didn't do well on their initial release. Why would we expect it to do better the second time if it failed the first? Yet, every once in a while people are pleasantly surprised by the result of a remake, so they continue to be made. Check out which films are currently being remade and decide for yourself how you think they'll turn out.
Clue
While the original 1985 Clue crashed and burned at the box office making only $14.6 million in theaters, after its release on home video it grew to become a cult classic. While Universal was said to be heading a remake, they dropped the project in 2011 which was then picked up by Twentieth Century Fox.
In addition, Ryan Reynolds is reported to be acting in the new version with the film aiming for an R-rating. Producer Rhett Reese commented that "It will have elements of (the original movie), but it's important that we don't try and just rehash it. We want to build on it."
An American Werewolf In London
In 1981, director John Landis released his horror comedy classic An American Werewolf in London. Although the film was initially well-received, it grew to become a cult classic later on as well. Now, John Landis' son, Max, is picking up the torch and is remaking his father's iconic film.
With Max Landis directing, the film is to be produced by David Albert and Rob Kirkman of The Walking Dead working with their Skybound Entertainment company. It also looks as though they have struck up a deal with Universal Pictures to help make the film.
Attack On Titan
Attack on Titian is a popular Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. After achieving global recognition, it was then made into a successful anime series in 2013. In 2014, it was dubbed in English and released in North America. Then, in 2015, the concept was then made into a two-part Japanese live-action film which garnered mixed responses from critics.
Now, it has been reported that Warner Bros. will be remaking the film for American incidences with the help of director Andy Muschietti who's known for directing the horror films Mama and the reboot of It.
Firestarter
Stephen King's 1980 novel Firestarter looks as though it's going to be adapted into a film for its second time. The most recent reports claim that the film finally found a director, Faith Atkin, who will work with Universal and Blumhouse in order to bring the film back onto the big screen.
A common belief is that many studios are chasing after the recent success of the most recent adaptation of King's It. Since Universal Pictures already owns the rights to Firestarter from their previous film in 1984, they now want to remake it to keep up with the Stephen King craze.
Child's Play
Recently, Orion Pictures released the first poster for the reboot of Child's Play, which is expected to be released on June 21, 2019. Directed by Lars Klevberg, it 's been announced that the movie will follow the same premise as its 1988 predecessors although the original series creator Don Manchini will not be involved.
The movie will follow a mother who gives her child doll without knowing the sinister nature of it and the horrors that will unfold. The film is set to star Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, and Bian Tyree Henry.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Interestingly enough, the classic 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels starring Steve Martin, Michael Caine, and Glenne Headly was actually a remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story. Yet, people can't get enough of this concept, as it's being remade once again starring Anne Hathaway, Rebel Wilson and will be the big-screen directorial debut of Doctor Who actor Chris Addison.
The film is to be titled Nasty Women, a reference to Donald Trump's comment about Hillary Clinton, and a phrase that has grown to become a major part of the feminist movement.
Nosferatu
A while back, Studio 8 announced that they would be tackling a remake of the classic 1922 horror film Nosferatu. Director Roger Eggers was hired to write and direct the new movie.
However, the project is early in the process and is expected to be delayed for some time as Eggers had just finished up his film The Witch and pushed the film even further back with his latest project The Lighthouse. Apparently, Anya Taylor-Joy, the star of The Witch, is involved with the project along with Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.
The Crow
It was announced that on October 11, 2019, Sony's remake of the 1994 film The Crow was expected to hit theaters. Unfortunately, the project is still on hold and was supposed to star Jason Momoa with direction from Corin Hardy, but both pulled out weeks before shooting.
The remake is said to be a more accurate adaptation of the 1989 comic book by James O'Brien and has been in the works with numerous actors and directors for nearly a decade at this point. Today, The Crow is a cult classic and the original film grossed $50.7 million Brandon Lee was the original actor, but he tragically passed away during filming from a defective gun blank just days before filming was set to end.
The Birds
It appears that the Alfred Hitchcock classic The Birds is in line for a reboot as well. Supposedly, it will be produced by Michael Bay with the help of his Platinum Dunes production company. This may come as a surprise to many as birds are much simpler to create rather than Transformers battling each other in city streets.
The film is also said to be directed by Diederik Van Rooijen, and the movie will be his first English language debut. The project has been on hold for a while but it's only a matter of time until it gets in motion.
Scarface
That's right, Scarface is making its way back to the big screen. Supposedly, Universal Pictures has been planning on doing a remake of the iconic crime film for some time but is having trouble landing a director.
On the bright side, Martin Bregman, who produced the 1983 version of the film, is coming back to act as a producer on this latest edition. The film is expected to follow the typical Scarface immigrant narrative, however, this time it will be set in modern-day Los Angeles. This could get interesting.
The Sword In The Stone
While there have been other movies in the past about the legend of King Arthur and his magical sword Excalibur, a true reboot of the 1963 animated film is in the works once again by Disney. It will be a live-action remake as many of the newest Disney films are, including Beauty and the Beast.
The film was announced back in 2015 with the screenplay being worked on by Bryan Cogman, a writer and producer for Game of Thrones. Cogman also has experience working with Disney in the past such as his involvement in the live-action The Jungle Book.
Bloodsport
To the dismay of fans around the world, it has been announced that original Bloodsport star Jean-Claude Van Damme will not be in the anticipated remake of the 1988 film. Co-writer of Taken 2, Mark Kamen has been reported to be working on the script with Phillip Noyce of Salt directing.
On the film not featuring Van Damme, Kamen commented, "To use [Van Damme] would make no sense because the association would be lost as the story has nothing to do with the first one. If anything it would be a distraction." So, if you're hoping for an exact remake of the original, you're out of luck.
Ace Ventura
Even though the Ace Ventura franchising may have fallen on hard times after the animated television series and Ace Ventura Jr., it seems that Morgan Creek Productions isn't ready to let go of it.
While the production company is in the midst of selling a lot of their property rights, they've managed to hang onto Ace Ventura in preparation for a remake. Although it's in its infancy and will not include Jim Carrey, according to Deadline, there are real plans that the film will eventually be made.
Cube
If you're a fan of indie horror-thrillers, chances are you've heard or seen Cube. For those who haven't, Lionsgate has been working on a reboot for the film titled Cubed, with the aid of Prometheus screenwriter John Spaihts and director Saman Kesh. Unfortunately, like many expected remakes, it's been on hold for a multitude of different reasons.
Spaihts explained that "I think it's resting right now as we look for a new creative direction, but we still are inspired by the vision of that original, independent, high-concept film." Hopefully, we'll get to see this new version sooner rather than later.
Don't Look Now
The expected remake of Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now has people up in arms who find it to be completely disrespectful to the 1973 horror classic. Apparently, the film was picked up by the Big Picture Company remake with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman producing.
Although there is still no writer or director announced for the film, it has been decided that StudioCanal will distribute it once finished. However, fans aren't the only people disappointed by the announcement of the remake. Donald Sutherland, the star of the original, called the plans for a new film "disgraceful."
Dune
Dune is a classic 1965 science fiction novel that is considered to be one of the best ever written. However, the 1984 film and 2000 miniseries adaptations of the past have been described as nothing less than cursed and failed projects. Yet, that isn't going to prevent filmmakers from taking another crack at making another Dune movie.
The film is supposedly making progress with Legendary Pictures acquiring the rights, Blade Runner 2049's Denis Villeneuve as director, and starring Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson. To the pleasure of Dune fans, it has also been announced that the reboot will be made into two films in order to stay true to the original novel.
Hellboy
While renowned director Guillermo del Toro has kept his fans patiently waiting for a Hellboy 3, as it turns out, there will be no third installment at the moment. Instead, there is a remake of del Toro's original directed by Neil Marshall.
Aside from the character of Hellboy, the film won't take place in the universe del Toro created but something entirely different. The film will star David Marshall from Stranger Things with much of the film drawing inspiration from The Wild Hunt, Darkness Calls, and The Storm and the Fury. The film is set to be released on April 12, 2019.
Memento
When people heard that there was going to be a remake of Christopher Nolan's Memento, let's just say that not everybody was thrilled about the news. AMBI Pictures are funding the reboot of the classic film. They have also bought the rights to Passion of the Christ, Donnie Darko, and Cruel Intentions, among others.
However, Andrea Iervolino, a member of the AMBI producing team wanted to clear things up about the remake. He claimed that "We are working on a special project around that [...] It is very private. It is not really a remake. But is something similar.” Not much else is known about the supposed upcoming film.
Pumpkinhead
Recently, Peter Block, one of the executive producers of the Saw franchise, acquired the rights to the horror film series Pumpkinhead. It has been Block's dream for some time to bring the creature back to life in the modern era and already has young writer Nate Atkins working on the script.
Block told EW that "There is a similarity of theme and a similarity of story [...] But we've enhanced the setting, and we’ve expanded the characters somewhat, to give it a different kind of experience." He also added that there will be Easter eggs for original Pumkinhead fans.
Charlie's Angels
Considering that the last Charlie's Angels film was Full Throttle in 2003, it's not shocking to learn that there's a remake in store for the hit series. The film is going to be written and directed by Elizabeth Banks.
She'll also be starring and acting alongside Naomi Scott, Kirsten Stewart, Ella Balinska, and Patrick Stewart. The film is based on the traditional Charlie's Angels television series as well as the most recent film series. At the moment the film is anticipated to be released on November 1, 2019, by Sony Pictures.