Top 10 Female Led Reboots We Wouldn't Mind Seeing

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

We are in an era of change when it comes to how diversity is portrayed on the big screen. While some lament the idea of our favorite films being remade with changes in ethnicity, gender, nationality, or sexuality to beloved characters and stories, sometimes the change can be the best way to retell an old story. While GHOSTBUSTERS is the latest example of a reboot with gender-swapped leads, it will be far from the last. Looking at a number of remakes and reboots on the horizon, here is our ranking of ten films that could potentially be brilliant given a tweak to the groins of the main roles. If you disagree or think of another film that could work with a female in the main role, let us know in the talk backs below. Remember, keep it respectful, this is just one person’s opinion.

#1 – THE FUGITIVE

Richard Kimble becomes Rachel Kimble. Accused of murdering her husband, Dr. Kimble breaks out of a prison transport and is hunted by Samuel Gerard. As a bonus, bring Tommy Lee Jones back as the US Marshal and you have a winner! I would keep the one-armed man as the real killer. Only swap the gender of the main character. Maybe they could even get Harrison Ford as her murdered husband? I would watch that movie in a heartbeat.

#2 – DIE HARD

While I contemplated suggesting that Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character, Lucy McClane, could be brought in to take over the franchise and leave Bruce Willis out of it completely, I think it would be best to reboot the entire thing. Bring the story back to Nakatomi Plaza and stick a female character in the air ducts. Remove any element of John McClane and tell an all new story with an all new character. Hell, put Angelina Jolie in there and you can take my money!

#3 – CLIFFHANGER

A guilty pleasure, CLIFFHANGER is one of the better and more unique action films of the 1990s. While a remake has been as ill-advised as the recent POINT BREAK retread, taking the story and flipping the Sly role to a woman could inject it with enough to make it worth checking out. Janine Turner’s role in the original could be the main role and the guy could be sidelined as the damsel in distress part.

#4 – THE CROW

Five different men have played THE CROW and several more have fallen through the long in development reboot. What do they have in common? Balls. So, why don’t the producers grow some and change the avenging spirit from a man to a woman. The supernatural nature of The Crow character eliminates any argument about strength of men versus women, so why not give it a shot?

#5 – WEIRD SCIENCE

It may be sacrilegious to remake any John Hughes films, but WEIRD SCIENCE has the most upside. Thanks to GHOSTBUSTERS, we know that some gender-swapped roles, like Chris Hemsworth’s Kevin, can be even funnier than the original creation. With Hemsworth in mind, why not swap Kelly Le Brock’s sexy Lisa for a big hunky guy. Make the two geeks girls (I imagine Hailee Steinfeld and Mae Whitman) and you have a recipe for a great remake.

#6 – HIGHLANDER

Of the HIGHLANDER films and television series, we have seen female immortals and some have gotten the focus (Highlander: The Raven). The great Christopher Lambert made the original film work so having him back would be awesome, maybe in Sean Connery’s role of Ramirez. Hey, he was a Frenchman playing a Scot, so why not? The point is, more HIGHLANDER is better than no HIGHLANDER. Couldn’t you imagine Charlize Theron in the lead? That would be badass.

#7 – SCARFACE

Taking the classic and remaking it as a Cuban drug epic was a stroke of genius by Brian De Palma. Why not try it again and make the man with the scar a woman? Females lead crime syndicates around the globe so this wouldn’t be a case of filmmakers making something completely ridiculous in the name of stunt casting. I would like to see someone like Salma Hayek’s character in SAVAGES take the lead in a movie like this.

#8 – SHAFT

Yeah, I know what you are all thinking: COFFY and FOXY BROWN are basically female SHAFT remakes already. Well, the last time we got a decent SHAFT was sixteen years ago and it is time for a new version. Why not make the new Shaft the daughter of Samuel L. Jackson’s version, making her the granddaughter of Richard Roundtree’s original bad mother? It could work if the casting were just right. Taraji P Henson, anyone?

#9 – LOGAN’S RUN

A remake of LOGAN’S RUN has been in development hell for years. The dystopian scifi flick follows a pair of Sandmen who are responsible for killing civilians when they reach the age of 30. Discovering the truth about a secret group of survivors sends the title character on a quest to save the world from early deaths. Logan is easily usable as a woman’s name and could bring this story a fresh perspective. Like FAHRENHEIT 451, 1984, and EQUILIBRIUM, the idea of LOGAN’S RUN is as prescient as ever. Putting a young woman in the front of this and partnering her with a male secondary character could make for a good adventure.

#10 – THE WILD BUNCH

Sam Peckinpah’s beloved classic western is an ultra-violent film of the highest order. Unlike the upcoming remake of THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, THE WILD BUNCH takes a darker look at a bunch of criminals exacting revenge and killing for their own gain. Changing the roles from men to women is something that has not worked well for westerns in the past, but given the right filmmaker, this could be one of those revolutionary films with female protagonists, like THELMA AND LOUISE.