38 Planned Movie Remakes You Didn't Know About
Simon Brew
The Shadow
Presumably this a reboot of the hilarious-but-iffy Alec Baldwin non-franchise of the mid-90s. Sam Raimi is producing, and the project is at the screenplay stage right now. Expect a release no sooner than 2010.
Battle Royale
The brilliant, brilliant, brilliant Asian movie is getting a Western remake. Producer Neal H Moritz is currently attached to the project, which has been optioned but not yet got much further. It didn’t help that New Line was linked with funding the film, and the same New Line got swallowed up by Warner Bros totally the other week.
Starfighter
A planned remake of the 1984 movie The Last Starfighter, which remains popular today. Nick Castle is currently attached to direct the project (he did the original as well, although his biggest hit as director is the 1993 kids’ movie Dennis). We fear this one may get lost in development hell. Hope not.
The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi is attached to the remake of one of his most loved films, with both he and Bruce Campbell on producing duties. Set for release at some point next year, they’ll have to get their skates on, as there’s no sign of cameras being turned on just yet.
Knight Rider
Forget the recent TV rebooting, the Weinstein Company has the option to produce a feature film, and the original creator of Knight Rider – Glen A Larson – is hard at work on the screenplay. Expect a release around 2010/11. If the new TV version doesn’t kill the franchise stone dead, of course…
Conan The Barbarian
The script is still being written for the remake of one of Arnie’s best-ever roles. It’s a fair bet that Arnie won’t be returning, but Sahara scribes Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer are beavering away on the screenplay. Production may yet start this year, apparently.
Logan’s Run
Uber-producer Joel Silver is pushing this long-mooted remake, which has director Joseph Kosinski attached (whose name is also being linked with the new Tron film). Logan’s Run is believed to be first in line, though, and a 2010 release is being mooted.
Death Wish
Sylvester Stallone is set to step into the role made famous by Charles Bronson in a remake of Michael Winner’s violent original. Stallone is set to write, produce and star, and production is planned to start at some point this year.
The Taking Of Pelham 123
Tony Scott is directing, and Denzel Washington and John Travolta are starring in a remake of the brilliant 1974 Walter Matthau original. David Koepp has written the screenplay, and the film will be released in the Autumn of 2009.
Fahrenheit 451
Frank Darabont – he of Shawshank Redemption and The Mist fame – has been linked with a fresh take on the Ray Bradbury book for a while. It seems he’s getting closer to honing a script too for him to direct, but it’s still not ready, so no idea of release date. Tom Hanks had been mooted to star.
Friday The 13th
Marcus Nispel – director of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake – has inked his name on the dotted to helm the remake of the original Friday The 13th movie. It’s a great solution: run out of sequels, start at the beginning! It’s in pre-production now for a 2009 release.
Last House On The Left
A remake of the brutal 70s Wes Craven movie, this time it’s relative-newcomer Dennis Illiadis in the director’s chair. The cast is rumoured to feature Liv Tyler, along with Monica Potter, Garret Dillahunt and Tony Goldwyn. It’s due to start filming next month,
Hellraiser
They’ve given up making sequels, so now they’re remaking the 80s original. No sign of Doug Bradley as Pinhead, but Clive Barker has been involved with the script, and Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury will be making their English language directorial debuts with the project.
Tron
Will it be a sequel? Will it be a remake? Will they call it a ‘reimagining’? All these questions and more are set to be answered, as three decades on, Tron will be heading back to the big screen in 2010.
Clash of the Titans
The 1981 film is being remade, and Stephen Norrington has – after not being seen behind a camera since League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen – agreed to direct. He did the original Blade, too. Lawrence Kasdan has been penning the script, and the film is in pre-production for a 2010 release.
Akira
A live action version of the iconic anime film of the same name, the adaptation is believe to be being handled in two parts, and Leonardo DiCaprio has been linked with the project. It’s still at the scripting stage, although director Ruairi Robinson is attached to helm.
The Birds
How depressing. Hitchcock’s awesome thriller is getting the remake treatment, with Martin ‘Casino Royale’ Campbell rumoured to be directing, and Naomi Watts linked with the project too. It has a release date of July 2009.
Frankenweenie
Tim Burton’s terrific early short film is being brought to the big screen by… Tim Burton! There’s logic there, somewhere. December 2009 is the targeted release time.
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Hurray! That ‘reimagining’ word is being used to describe the now-in-the-pre-production stages new Elm Street movie. Michael Bay produces, but doesn’t direct. Thank goodness.
Westworld
The terrific forerunner to Jurassic Park – also penned by Michael Crichton – Westworld has long been mooted for a remake. Billy Ray, who directed Breach and Shattered Glass, is the latest writer to take a stab at the theme-park-attraction-goes-out-of-control concept.
The Warriors
Director Tony Scott – once he’s finished on The Taking Of Pelham 123 - remains attached to the proposed remake of Walter Hill’s 1979 classic tale of rival gangs on a mission that takes them across a dangerous city. It’s still in the writing stages, and may be held up in development hell for some time yet.
Piranha
Alexandra Aja, who enjoyed success with his remake of The Hills Have Eyes, is directing a potentially 3D version of Joe Dante’s terrific original. A 2009 release date has been eyed up.
Escape From New York
Another John Carpenter classic is getting remade, and Terminator 3 director Jonathan Mostow – with Ken Nolan - is taking a stab at the script. No word if he’s going to direct, but a 2009 release is mooted.
Meatballs
Another 80s comedy getting a remake, Meatballs has – oh dear – Big Momma’s House 2 (not even the original!) director John Whitesell attached to it. And no sign of Bill Murray, either. Never a good thing.
Howard Stern’s Porkys
A remake of Bob Clark’s bawdy early 80s comedy, this is still in the planning stages with US shock-jock lending his name to the project and the title. It’s planned to have it ready for 2009. Expect an array of shitty sequels if it hits.
The Lives Of Others
The stunning German film is getting an American remake, with Anthony Minghella attached to produce, but not direct. It’s only been optioned so far, so 2010 would be the earliest you see it. Our advice? See the original. It’s genuinely stunning.
Short Circuit
Number Five is, er, still alive, with original screenwriters coming back for the reboot of the 80s original. No news of a finished script, director or shooting date, though.
Straw Dogs
Rod Lurie – the man who directed The Contender – is scripting and directing the remake of the Dustin Hoffman-starring original. It’s only been optioned thus far, and so the planned 2009 release date may be optimistic.
1984
Tim Robbins is apparently hunting for the money for a new big screen adaptation of George Orwell’s classic and never-more-relevant novel. He’s not having much luck though, we’re led to believe.
Red Sonja
Roy Thomas (Conan The Destroyer) has been drafted in to write a screenplay for a new Red Sonja film, although don’t expect Arnie to be in it. Nor should you expect it soon.
The Dirty Dozen
Alias veteran Josh Applebaum has the unenviable task of coming up with a suitable script for the remake of the original classic. 2010 is the earliest it’ll be released.
Footloose
Surely not? The 80s musical could be coming back to life if director Kenny Ortega has anything to do with it. That said, given he directed High School Musical and its spin-offs, he’d probably be allowed to do anything he wanted in Hollywood right now. Sigh. Footloose has thus far been optioned, and may go before the camera this year.
Dune
Frank Herbert’s source material is set to be mined again, for a new movie due out in 2010. Peter Berg, who directed the brilliant Friday Night Lights movie, is waving the megaphone, but further details are still sketchy.
The Thing
A remake of the 1982 classic, that’s got Battlestar Galactica producer Ronald D Moore attached to it. That said, it’s being described as a companion rather than a remake. Hmmmm. No word on it going before the cameras yet.
Near Dark
Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire flick enters the remake chamber, with music video director Samuel Bayer making his debut in the directors’ chair on the film. Cast has yet to be announced, but it appears that Bigelow has had a hand in the screenplay.
The Swarm
This is more like it! Lots of bees! Frank Schaetzing’s book is plundered again for the big screen, with Silence Of The Lambs adapter Ted Tally on scripting duties. No director or cast yet, though.
Fame
Alan Parker’s 1980 musical is being remade by MGM, who originally had a Christmas 2008 release date inked in. Andy Finkman – who directed The Game Plan and She’s The Man – is down to direct, though, and the project will no doubt move forward shortly.
The Witches
Roald Dahl’s book has already been filmed with Anjelica Huston in the leading role, but Guillermo Del Toro is toying with the idea of having a stab himself. No start date has been announced for the project, though.
Poll Results
| Option | Votes |
| Akira | 8 |
| Logan’s Run | 4 |
| The Lives Of Others | 3 |
| The Birds | 3 |
| Straw Dogs | 3 |
| Tron | 3 |
| The Warriors | 2 |
| Death Wish | 2 |
| Fahrenheit 451 | 2 |
| Conan The Barbarian | 2 |
| Battle Royale | 2 |
| Escape From New York | 2 |
| Short Circuit | 1 |
| The Witches | 1 |
| The Dirty Dozen | 1 |
| The Thing | 1 |
| Westworld | 1 |
| The Evil Dead | 1 |
| Clash of the Titans | 1 |
| Friday The 13th | 1 |
| A Nightmare On Elm Street | 0 |
| Footloose | 0 |
| Dune | 0 |
| Starfighter | 0 |
| Near Dark | 0 |
| The Swarm | 0 |
| Fame | 0 |
| Red Sonja | 0 |
| 1984 | 0 |
| Knight Rider | 0 |
| Last House On The Left | 0 |
| Howard Stern’s Porkys | 0 |
| Meatballs | 0 |
| Hellraiser | 0 |
| Piranha | 0 |
| Frankenweenie | 0 |
| The Shadow | 0 |
― chaki, Friday, 4 April 2008 19:06 (seventeen years ago)