Westerns remain a criminally under-utilized genre by Hollywood studios. These days, Westerns are smaller in scale and aim for Oscars rather than box office records. Clint Eastwood’s iconic Man With No Name is a legendary character who helped influence decades of filmmakers. If there is a style and story that is better for a reboot, I cannot think of one. It would be impossible to replicate Eastwood’s trademark squint and growl, but there are worthy successors who could don the hat and poncho. Timothy Olyphant, anyone?
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It may be a stretch to call SPEED a franchise since it consists of one good movie and one awful one, but I will be damned if the format of “DIE HARD on a bus” has never been replicated satisfactorily. Jan De Bont’s movie is still a perfect summer blockbuster in every sense. Even if Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock won’t come back, we deserve a new chapter in the franchise even if that means it needs to star Dwayne Johnson to get it made.
Of the four films in the series, only the first is truly worth your time. The three sequels have their cheesy charm, but JAWS is still the iconic masterpiece. With advances in modern technology, a new JAWS could be something truly amazing. While THE MEG may be over the top, we need Steven Spielberg or an approved protege to go back to the first movie and update it for modern audiences. As much as I love the classic film, I really want to see what Spielberg could do with 21st century special effects.
Outside of the first movie, the sequels and television series that bear the name HIGHLANDER have played fast and loose with the mythology of the immortal swordfighters that only the most die-hard fan can keep the rules straight. Either a direct sequel to the original movie or a full rebuilding of the mythos is warranted at this point. A new HIGHLANDER has been in development for so long that I will expect it to screen around the same time as the new CROW movie, which means I am not holding by breath.
I am a huge fan of George A. Romero’s original trilogy of LIVING DEAD films. I also really love the tangential RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD series. Hell, Zack Snyder’s remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD is awesome, too. But, a truly faithful and inspired retelling of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD followed by DAWN and DAY could make for some big budget magic. We need more epic Hollywood horror and zombies are still very popular. Why not go to the movie that started it all?
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The short films by Kevin Tancharoen came close to embracing the type of live action adaptation we wanted to see from MORTAL KOMBAT, but the subsequent series felt more like a cheaper version of Paul W.S. Anderson’s original film. There will always be an audience for martial arts tournament films and with the video game series still going strong, now is the best time to bring Johnny Cage and Liu Kang back to the big screen. Just don’t cast a French guy as Raiden and you are all good.
While both of the first films could not be more dissimilar, neither captured what made G.I. JOE a cultural phenomenon in the 1980s. Instead of going for the same audience as the big budget TRANSFORMERS franchise, G.I. JOE should be rebooted as either a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE type series or something that takes the level of bombast from RETALIATION and kicks it up another notch. As much as I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, we need a real fucking snake to be Cobra Commander. Embrace the pulp!
While the Robert Zemeckis trilogy is highly regarded (and deservedly so), the technological advancements made with special effects would make for a perfect update to the story of Marty McFly. Whether it be a sequel with a descendant of Marty McFly (what if he is from the near future and has to travel back to our contemporary era? What if it is a female lead?) or even a full reboot, the great story is too good not to see on the big screen once again.
At this point, I am torn between wanting to see Wesley Snipes return as the titular Daywalker or just having the franchise get rebooted. Maybe there is a happy medium where the character can be brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Snipes playing Whistler or even the mentor to a younger Blade. Either way, having Snipes play a role in the new version would make a lot of fans very happy while still paying respect to one of the best non-MCU franchises.
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With Disney on the verge of acquiring 20th Century Fox, we will likely be seeing a proper adaptation of the First Family of Marvel sooner rather than later. As much as I have enjoyed the attempts to get the story right on the big screen so far, we are well beyond deserving of the budget, scope, and talent warranted for such an iconic comic book property. Even if Disney fails in their financial pursuits, 20th Century Fox is more than capable of sticking to the source material and not reinventing the wheel when it comes to the Richards clan.