Reboots, remakes and sequels are taking over from original and creative ideas.
Recently, I went to see Project Hail Mary (which I reviewed here) and it felt like every advertisement was either a remake, reboot, a sequel, a spin-off or a live-action version of stories that have already been told. They had their success. Now let’s move on.
Oh, those types of projects are really profitable for studios? Well then let’s kill all originality and creativity so rich people can stay rich. Enough with the sarcasm? No problem.
HBO just released the Harry Potter TV series trailer which people have mixed opinions on but with over 10 million views, people sure seem very curious.
Netflix is doing a live-action Scooby-Doo series, and also developing a 13 Going on 30 reboot.
All I can think is why? Why do we need to keep remaking, rebooting, reviving? Why is originality not enough anymore?
I am not saying that every reboot or remake is bad because then I would be lying. If every new product had to be original then we wouldn’t have experienced The Dark Knight Trilogy, IT (2017) or A Star is Born (2018). Among many, many more brilliant films and shows.
But there are certain stories that I don’t think needs to be touched again so soon, or even at all.
Nothing beats watching the Harry Potter films at Christmas. I remember circling the viewing times for each movie in the RTÉ Christmas Guide every year. But more importantly, I remember going to see the last three movies in the cinema. The eight and final film being released in 2011. Not enough time has passed for them to justify making a whole new version already.
The original films are still so current in many of our lives that we don’t have much excitement towards this adaptation. But maybe that’s where I’m wrong. Maybe I’m not the target audience for this show and all this giving out is for nothing.
Then we have Scooby-Doo, which I understand even less than the Harry Potter remake. We already have two iconic and fun live-action Scooby-Doo films from the 2000s that people still love. Unless they were bringing back the original cast as the geriatric Scooby Gang then I don’t really see the point.
But honestly, the one that confuses me the most is 13 Going on 30. What is the reason behind this remake? The original is perfect in so many ways. Jenna Rink’s iconic dress, the “Thriller” dance, and just the overall vibe from an early 2000s rom-com.
Netflix has already announced the cast with Emily Bader and Logan Lerman. While I’m happy about the casting because I do think Logan Lerman deserves more big roles, I still don’t think this is the film for that. If they were in an original rom-com together then absolutely make that. But trying to make a reboot of a film that is cemented in the prime time of rom-coms? Not the best idea.
Studios keep going back to the same stories and the same names because they know that an audience is already there. And from a business point of view, I completely understand. A familiar story comes with built-in nostalgia, marketing and audience. It’s easier to sell people something that they know rather than ask them to give the same energy to something new.
But originality still comes out on top when it is actually given a chance. Ted Lasso. Breaking Bad. Game of Thrones. The Pitt. Interstellar. Inglorious Bastards. Get Out. The list goes on and on.
These projects remind people that audiences do still crave origininality and want to be interested in a new story.
However, audiences are also part of the problem. People complain about remakes and sequels all the time, but will still sit happily in an overpriced cinema to watch it. Studios aren’t making them for no reason, they do it because it works.
So is originality completely dead in TV and film? No, I don’t think so.
It’s just unfortunate that there are so many unheard stories out there because they can’t get the attention that they deserve. It’s a shame because some of the best shows and films are usually the most original.
