Movies that you'd like to see remade/modernized, or books that you'd like to see made into film

Arts & Sciences Arts & Entertainment
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I’m a pretty big movie fan and lately I’ve been getting bored with the mediocre offerings from Hollywood. I feel like there used to be so many blockbuster films or Oscar-worthy presentations, but few movies have really done it for me lately.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking lately about some movies that would do really well in the 2010s what with all the technology available and the big budgets to make it happen.

Here some I’ve been wishing for:

The Right Stuff (1983) - I’m a huge fan of nearly anything to do with space and for me, with the exception of Moon (2009) and Sunshine (2007), there really haven’t been many space movies (sci-fi or not) that I’ve enjoyed since Apollo 13. This story of the formation and implementation of the original 7 “Mercury Seven” astronauts is entertaining and informative, but at nearly 30 years of age it could do for a remake.

Red Mars (book series) - Speaking of outer space, Kim Stanley Robinson’s “Red Mars” series is one of the most detailed, complete works to date regarding space colonization, I’d love to see this put into a film series or pay cable TV series if possible. AMC owns the rights for a TV show, but as of today nothing has come of it.

Apocalypse Now (1979) - I know, I know, “you can’t remake the classics”, which is why I’ve left the “Godfather” series off my list. But seriously with the ability to create such a realistic and breathtaking war environment, as in Band of Brothers, why not update a classic using modern technology.

Serpico (1973) - Al Pacino is a legend, and it’s hard to cast a shadow over one of his career-making films, but people (myself included) love crime movies and, with the right cast, Serpico would be a great remake.

Anyway, I could go on and on with a whole lot of movies, but let’s see what all the Forumosans have to say about it.

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James Clavell’s Shogun made a great mini-series. Should/Could it be re-done? Possibly. However I think Tai-Pan, one of his other Asian novels would be great material for an HBO/Showtime Deadwood style mini-series. The characters are complex and rich with possibilities, the historical events provide a lot of intrigue and plot development, there is plenty of potential for wardrobe from that period and the dialogue is rich with subtleties and texture. CGI is getting to the point where they could reasonably recreate 19th century Hong Kong harbor. There is enough potential story-lines to take it for multiple seasons. If only…

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Call me old fashioned, but haven’t movies and TV shows from the 70s and 80s already been remade and regurgiated to death. And a remake of Apocalypse Now?
A book I’d like to see made into film would be Child 44.

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I’d like the new version set in Afghanistan. I know it’s not a jungle, but it’s ancient and the difference is what would make it special. Rivers of sand.

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I like the Afghanistan idea, though I think it would be better if based on Apocalypse Now instead of a remake, that way the traditionalists won’t have a heart-attack.

And as far as this is concerned:

The answer is yes. However, the problem with Hollywood today is that you have too many “up-and-comers” who think that if they just put a new twist on it or take some creative license that they can put it in a whole new light. THAT, plus bad acting, directing, and CGI can totally ruin a movie. For example, I hated the “Superman” movie that came out in 2006, but prefer the new Batman films to the old.

2001’s awful “Planet of the Apes” with Mark Wahlberg in it was nothing compared to the Hesston Version, but 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was a promising start to a modern series of “Apes” films that will draw new fans and old alike.p

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Books to movies:

A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance Dance Dance

Out

Coin Locker Babies

360 Degree Flip

*And not Americanized versions of the Japanese books, like Noako was. :raspberry:

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You could do so much with ‘War Games’ now

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Yep, War Games 2 the Dead Code didn’t quite cut it.

I had read somewhere that The Alchemist was being made into a movie. I would think Hollywood, if taking any Coehlo’s, would do 11 minutes or the devil and ms. pymm.

What I would like to see done again is Space:1999
imdb.com/title/tt0072564/

According to Wikipedia, they did tried, but not yet: Space: 1999 - Wikipedia

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They should make a remake of the remake of the remake of The Thing.

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yep, probably in the works already, if the remake sticks.

That reminds me… There was this movie about a blob-like creature that propagated itself in an addictive yogurt like concoction, turning people into zombies and spreading terror, buahaha. That would be a good one.

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Could you be thinking of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stuff ?

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I would love to see “A Wild Sheep Chase” turned into a movie, or “Kafka on the Shore”. However, more likely “After Dark” would work better.

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Blood Meridian is supposedly in development now. It’s a movie I wish they’d make but hope they never do. I just know they’ll fuck it up, primarily because there’s no way the censors would allow some of those scenes.

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I have seen The Stuff. They could make one heck of a remake of that movie.

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I’d like to see a few authors’ books done up movie style.

Tai-pan would be a gooder
Haruki Murakami’s short stories
Wilbur Smith’s S.A. series
Lee Child’s Reacher series

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Nah - that won’t get remade

Hmmm – this one really maybe should get remade

Showrunner Justin Marks expresses interest in adapting the second novel in James Clavell’s Asian Saga, Tai-Pan, after Shōgun. Adapting Tai-Pan or other novels would require enhancing the source material for the small screen, but could happen, Marks says.

Looks like this one was done a couple years ago

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Tai-Pan done up like they did Shogun would be a treat.

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The novel Forever Amber from 1944 was so scandalous that it was banned in many places–but of course it flew off the shelves. People love their drama, intrigue, and sex, especially when it’s set among real life historical events and characters. Think Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind but much more conniving and a whole lot spicier.

The movie it spawned a couple of years later in 1947 could never portray the “bastardy, perversion, impotency, pregnancy, abortion, murder and marriage”—to name just a few of the spicy elements—so Hollywood made a “dreary, dutifully sanitized” version that was a complete disappointment to fans of the book (like I am).

If I had the money, I’d love to produce a modern version that stays faithful to the fun outrageousness of the novel.

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I’d like to see The Battle of the Bulge done properly.

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Stephen King’s “The Long Walk” has been in development hell for years, but inspired so many successful movies. If it end up like “The Dark Tower”, not worth it.

On that note, hoping the dark tower reboot doesn’t suck

Along the same lines as Walk, “Lord of the Flies” is prescient. But make the whole plane full of LGBTQ+ for fun and Disney

For fantasy, the whole Drizzt saga from Forgotten Realms is ripe, first few books could be done cheap. I stopped reading these when I hit high school, but I think they are still being made. Could be rated R, would need good CGI and set/costume design, lead character is already black so why hasn’t Netflix bought already. Baldur’s Gate etc., someone could be milking Forgotten Realms for years. The Chris Pine D&D movie was FG but it wasn’t obvious.

Another fave fantasy writer from my childhood is David Eddings. He has two story worlds, Belgarion’s and Sparhawk’s. I think the second would adapt better: more fun and funny, less plodding and broody. Also more action and adult. And shorter, I think two story arcs of three books each. So, could be 3 seasons and see how it goes for the second arc

George RR Martin has a werewolf detective story that would adapt well

Edit: come to think of it, Harry Potter is kind of a Belgariad ripoff

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