Rebooting a movie is a gargantuan task for even the greatest of filmmakers because they have to contend with the wild and varied imaginations of super enthusiastic moviegoers. And it's impossible to please them all, especially when it comes to reboots, where fans of the original movies often have very strong opinions.
Remaking an older piece of intellectual property is the go-to tactic for big Hollywood production companies, and it makes a lot of sense. They get the opportunity to tap into an established audience, while potentially bringing in an entirely new generation of fans. And when they're done right, reboots can bring fans validation for their devotion by doing justice to a beloved world, story, and characters.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
It's dangerous to reboot such a revered franchise (especially after its most recent attempt flopped in theaters), but Ghostbusters: Afterlife has a lot going for it. Most notably, it is co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, the director of both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.
The film is also loaded when it comes to the cast, helmed by Finn Wolfhard (Strangers Things), Carrie Coon, and the lovable Paul Rudd. The movie is also blessed with the return of members from the original cast, including Dan Ackroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and of course, the legendary Bill Murray.
Little Shop Of Horrors
Another critically acclaimed comedy from the mid-80s is getting a 21st-century update of its own in Little Shop of Horrors. From iconic musical scribes, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Oscar-winning writers of songs from Disney's Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid), Little Shop of Horrors was based on an off-Broadway musical that itself was based on a 1960 Roger Corman film of the same name.
The Frank Oz-directed, Rick Moranis-starring original will be updated with a potential cast led by MCU alums Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Rocketman star Taron Egerton, and Tony award-winner Billy Porter.
Spawn
One of the more sinister and bizarre comic adaptations of the '90s, Spawn is getting an update for the new millennium. The remake is set to be written and directed by the titular character's creator, Todd McFarlane (Todd neither wrote nor directed 1997 original).
While the film has been in the early stage of development for some time, the attachments of Jeremy Renner and Jamie Foxx to the project give it some much-needed momentum. Though few details have been publicized about the plot, McFarlane's vision is to remain true to the violent R-rated source material. And if recent successes like Deadpool and Joker are any indication, there's a strong fanbase clamoring for just that.
The Wild Bunch
Another film from Jamie Foxx's rumored upcoming slate of potential blockbusters, The Wild Bunch is an ensemble Western classic. Directed by Sam Peckinpah, the film starred Hollywood legends, William Holden and Ernest Borgnine (aka Mermaid Man from SpongeBob Squarepants).
Much like the original, the plot centers around a gang of outlaws evading the law while trying to get one last big score in the waning days of the American West. Mel Gibson is currently attached to direct, with Micheal Fassbender and Peter Dinklage (in addition to Foxx) rumored to be part of the cast.
Wicked
The famous witches of Oz have had quite an interesting journey back to the big screen. From their film debut way back in 1939 with the original (The Wizard of Oz) to its namesake (and what the film will be a direct adaptation of) the Broadway hit, Wicked.
But from a movie standpoint, Wicked is technically following the moderate success of 2013's Oz: the Great and Powerful, from director Sam Raimi, starring James Franco. With standout director Jon M. Chu on board and the project in pre-production, the fabled world of Oz will be back on the big screen soon enough.
Masters Of The Universe
Following in the footsteps of recent reboots, including Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Michael Bay-led Transformers franchise, Hollywood is reaching back into the toy box for Masters Of the Universe.
He-Man (aka Prince Adam) and the rest of the aforementioned masters first hit theaters in 1987, with the muscle-bound Dolph Lundgren (famous for his Rocky villain, Ivan Drago) starring as He-Man. In pre-production, the latest version is being helmed by new directing duo Aaron and Adam Nee, with To All The Boys I've Loved Before star Noah Centineo taking over for Lundgren as He-Man himself.
Akira
Academy Award-winning writer/director Taika Waititi has made his talents for executing blockbuster projects very clear with the rousing success of Thor: Ragnarok, while also dipping his toe in the Star Wars universe with an episode of The Mandalorian.
And among the many future projects on his plate (including a still-unnamed Star Wars project), a big one is Akira. Announced not long after the release of Thor: Ragnarok, the reboot of the landmark 1988 anime is still in the development stage, though it has essentially been put on hold while Taika directs the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.
Dungeons & Dragons
There are few role-playing fantasy games more prolific than Dungeons & Dragons, with a worldwide appeal that's been going strong since the early '70s. And longevity of this magnitude never fails to get the attention of Hollywood.
Following the flop of the nearly unanimously-hated 2000 film, a long-developing reboot has since attached writer/directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to head the film. The cast is taking shape, as well, with Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Justice Smith (Detective Pikachu), and recent breakout Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton) all connected to the film.
Nosferatu
Writer/director Robert Eggers burst onto the scene with his quietly terrifying film, The Witch, and has since gone on to further cement his dark, dilapidated, old-timey aesthetic with his critically acclaimed follow-up, The Lighthouse. And with his natural tendencies as a filmmaker, it's no wonder he couldn't resist the opportunity to tackle the challenge of Nosferatu.
Originally made in 1922 by legendary German director F.W. Murnau, and later adeptly remade in 1979 by the incomparable Werner Herzog, Eggers is certainly treading on some sacred ground. Eggers (along with frequent collaborator, Anya Taylor Joy) has been attached to the film since shortly after The Witch debuted, but with his latest project The Northman wrapped and in the can, Nosferatu could finally be next.
The Batman
Few if any franchises hit the refresh button more often than Batman, and with Ben Affleck's recent exit from the role, it's that time again. Recently wrapping a production tested by the trials and tribulations of a global pandemic, the Matt Reeves-directed The Batman released a teaser trailer giving the world a first look at Robert Pattinson in the fabled bat suit and the dark, moody Gotham under his watch.
With the monumental success of Christopher Nolan's standalone Batman trilogy still fresh in everyone's mind, expectations and skepticism are equally high, but if the trailer is any indication, Reeves and Pattinson will be delivering a very different dark knight.