In an era when Hollywood is always looking backwards to find out what old release can be reborn as the next big franchise, it is easy to get cynical about remake culture. Unfortunately the truth is that more often than not, remakes/reboots/delayed sequels/etc. don’t live up to the majesty of the originals. (John Carpenter‘s The Thing and David Cronenberg‘s The Fly being noteworthy exceptions to this rule, as they both are fantastic, original works in their own right). This is an issue that won’t be going away anytime soon; just take a look at this news story concerning a lawsuit spawned by a potential reboot of Citizen Kane for television.
There’s a great joke in Gremlins 2: The New Batch about Casablanca being colorized and given a happy ending. I thought about that when I heard about the proposed Kane remake, as well as yet another Little Shop of Horrors remake (this time potentially starring Josh Gad and Rebel Wilson). At what point does this cycle — which shows no signs of stopping anytime soon — end? And what, if any, properties are so sacred that they can’t be touched? I want to know your opinions on remakes, and what films and TV shows should, under no circumstances, ever be brought back. Let us know your thoughts below, because this is a debate that will likely rage for years to come.