This past September, Warner Bros. announced plans to remake the iconic 1987 vampire film The Lost Boys with Noah Jupe and Jaeden Martell set to star in unspecified roles (per Variety). While the news is sure to divide ardent fans of the original cult classic, director Jonathan Entwistle would be wise to recycle the most successful aspects of the original.
While plot details have yet to emerge, one sure-fire way to alienate fans of the original is to take the film in a wildly new direction. Entwistle may have difficulty balance audience expectations while offering a new angle on the material, but as long as he includes certain tropes and tenets from the original, the better chance he has at succeeding.
Memorable Setting
One of the most alluring aspects of The Lost Boys is its setting of the fictional town of Santa Carla, California, deemed the mass murder capital of the world. Filmed at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the seaside theme park becomes a prime feeding ground for David (Kiefer Sutherland) and his vampiric gang.
Whether or not the remake returns to Santa Cruz, a similar setting is something fans most certainly expect to see. David's cavernous dungeon below the boardwalk is as much of a character as any in the film, and anything less would severely disappoint the faithful.
Excellent Cast
The Lost Boys holds up today in large part due to its stellar ensemble cast of young teen heartthrobs and seasoned Oscar-caliber talent alike. The remake needs to match not only the alchemical kinship between Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, but it necessitates the gravitas of an actor like two-time Oscar-winning Dianne Wiest to ground the material and make it credible.
Considering how Jupe and Martell have already been cast, fans can expect a crop of great young acting talent to star in the film. Here's hoping a more diverse and veteran cast of supporting actors join the project.
Balance Of Horror & Humor
As a movie that satirically skewers precisely what it is, The Lost Boys found major success due to its deft balance between neck-slashing horror and side-splitting humor to create one of the first successful horror-comedy mashups. This dynamic needs to be a priority in the remake.
So often in remade horror-comedies, the humor is supplanted in favor of a much more austere tone (Fright Night is a good example). This is not what fans of The Lost Boys want to see. On the contrary, the charm of the original is the playful tone and silly sense of humor that actually makes the horror resonate more.
Killer Quotes
Another durable quality of The Lost Boys is its collection of memorable quotes, quips, zingers, and hilarious one-liners. From Sam's "Death by stereo" and Alan's "Holy Sh*t, it's the attack of Eddie Munster!" to Edgar's "Great, the bloodsucking Brady Bunch" and Sam's "So what, are you the Flying Nun" and more, fans need lines of dialogue to rival if not eclipse those in the original.
If the humor is nonexistent in the remake and the intended comic lines fail to resonate as well as the original, then fans will instantly dismiss the remake as an unnecessary and ersatz cash grab that failed to grasp why the first film struck such a pop-cultural chord.
Awesome Soundtrack
If fans don't get a return of the oily saxophonist hunk crooning the night away at the Boardwalk, then at the very least, a badass rock-n-roll soundtrack needs to be included in The Lost Boys remake. The original boasted tracks from hit 80s bands INXS, Echo and the Bunnymen, Aerosmith, and more, creating a cool early MTV vibe to go with the vampire's sexy lifestyle.
There are a lot of available options that would make for a great soundtrack, but it will have to hit just the right notes to satisfy Lost Boys fans.
Nanook
One of the best characters in The Lost Boys is Nanook, Sam's protective Alaskan Malamute who uses his animal instincts to keep the boy from harm. He first attacks Michael (Jason Patric) before he can attack Sam (Corey Haim), and later kills a vampire by knocking him into a bathtub of garlic holy water. As such, it would be a real shame if the proud pooch was excluded from the remake.
Nanook also senses something amiss with Max (Edward Herrmann), the head vampire who charms his way into the Emerson household. In addition to reinforcing the bond between man and animal, which somewhat parallels Michael's vampiric transformation, Nanook is vital to the plot in ways that would require a completely different script if he were omitted.
The Frog Brothers
Fans can only hope that Jupe and Martell have been cast as the iconic Frog Brothers, the awesome yet overly serious horror movie vampire hunters who assist Sam in slaying David and his biker gang in the original film. If the two young actors have been cast as Sam and Michael Emerson instead (as suspected), then the Frogs need to be added ASAP.
Responsible for some of the biggest laughs and most memorable moments in the movie, the absence of the Frogs would instantly alienate and upset fans to no end. There's a reason why they became the stars of the low-ranked direct-to-disc horror sequels.
Formidable Foes
Living up to the old adage that a movie is only as good as its villain, measures must be taken to ensure that a properly formidable foe is written, cast, and performed up to the standards of Sutherland and Herrmann in the original. Without a frightening rival for the main characters to combat, none of the drama will resonate after the credits roll.
Whether it's the sinister Gothic-rock appearance of David or the charming personality of Max, the villains in The Lost Boys are terrifyingly convincing. Moreover, the underlying mystery of who the head vampire is adds a nice dose of suspense to the story. If the remake fails in this regard, fans will not forgive the result.
Cameos From Original Cast
One sure-fire way to pander to the original fans and induce a hearty smile is to include cameo appearances from the original Lost Boys cast members. While some have since passed (Herrmann, Barnard Hughes), others like Patric, Feldman, Wiest, Sutherland, and others could make a quick appearance in the remake as a way to bring the story full circle.
What would be even cooler is if Entwistle brought back young Laddie (Chance Michael Corbitt), Star's (Jamie Gertz) half-vampire companion to include him in a present-day storyline. Even if Corbitt himself isn't cast, making Laddie the new head vampire would almost certainly appease fans of the original.
The Camp & Kitsch
Above all else, the totality of the qualities mentioned equal one extremely enjoyable combination of 80s campiness and kitschiness. It's this very formula that Entwistle and his crew should aspire to, striking the right balance between the irreverent tastelessness and the exaggerated style that makes The Lost Boys such a fun time at the movies.
While easier said than done, Entwistle will likely need to expound on his previous Netflix work on The End of the F***** World and I Am Not Okay With This to further foster a feeling the recaptures the magic of the original movie.