Remakes and Sequels

A list of Remakes you (probably) didn't know were in the works...

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 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; the same New Line got swallowed up by Warner Bros the other week.

Starfighter
A planned remake of the 1984 movie The Last Starfighter. 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).

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 even though there’s no sign of cameras rolling.

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. That is 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.

Logan’s Run
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 ruin it. 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 1974 Walter Matthau original. David Koepp has written the screenplay, and the film will be released in the Autumn of 2009.

Fahrenheit 451
This has been kicked around a lot. Mel Gibson owned it for a while. Now Frank Darabont – 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 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 getting the remake treatment, with Martin ‘Casino Royale’ Campbell rumored 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! 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. Otherwise there’d be Freddy Explosions!

Westworld
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. Useless without Ule Brenner

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 Jebus – Big Momma’s House 2 director John Whitesell attached to it. Pray that Bill Murray isn’t in it.

Howard Stern’s Porkys
A remake of Bob Clark’s bawdy early 80s comedy, this is still in the planning stages with Howard lending his name to the project and the title. It’s planned to have it ready for 2009. Bababooie!

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. My advice? See the original. It’s stunning.

Short Circuit
Doggamned Number Five is, still alive. That effing thing must have nuclear batteries. The original screenwriters have come back for a new paycheck to reboot the 80s original. No news of a finished script, director or shooting date. No word if Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens are up for it.

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. He’s not having much luck though, we’re led to believe. If you know how hard it was for them to make the other version, (ask David Bowie) in 1983, it might never come to pass.

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. Don’t hold your breath waiting for this.

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
What?? 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
As I mentioned three times before, Frank Herbert’s source material is set to be mined again, for a new movie due out in 2010. Peter Berg, who directed Friday Night Lights (good) Corky Romano (wah!) and Smokin’ Aces (argh!), to wear the puffy pants.

The Thing
Another John Carpenter flick, this time it’s got Battlestar Galactica producer Ronald D Moore attached to it. That said, it’s being described as a companion rather than a remake.

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
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. Bees!

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.


A list of Sequels you (probably) didn't know were in the pipeline.

Aliens vs Predator 3
Even though the second film was spectacularly awful, it made so much cash across the planet that a third is being put into the production grinder. The Brothers Strause may be attached. That’s the scariest thing about it.

Rambo 5

Jack Ryan 5
Expect a new Jack Ryan, though, with Ben Affleck not likely to get a call back in spite of the success of The Sum Of All Fears. Ryan Gosling is favorite, and Sam Raimi has signed to direct.

Alvin & The Chipmunks 2

Stigmata 2
Our memory of the first film is neither clear nor particularly kind, but MGM is thinking about a follow-up anyway. We imagine that it’s DVD fodder, and it’s due in 2009. Expect nobody that you’ve heard of to be in it.

Cliffhanger 2: The Dam
With Rocky and Rambo revivals bringing home the bucks, the once-mooted Cliffhanger sequel has popped back onto the radar. No news if Renny Harlin would be interested. Come on Sly, why not make Demolition Man sequel while you’re at it?

It’s A Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World: The Sequel
Stanley Kramer apparently approved the idea to this before he died. I guess they must have had him pretty doped up. No cast or crew have been announced.

The Ring 3
It’s the dead horse, coming back to life, begging not to be beaten anymore. Hideo Nakata is attached to direct the third American film in the series, albeit with nobody you’ve heard of in the cast this time.

Open Season 2
A straight to video sequel. Should be called the quest for the ATM.

Final Destination 4
David R Ellis, he who directed the second film in the series and Snakes On A Plan has returned to FD4.

Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2
A film that only gets mentioned because it fits into this list. The funny part is that Pants means something completely different in England. Imagine the disappointed all the British blokes who paid to see the first one.

Batman: Gotham Knight
Anime style DVD feature length anime adventure for the Dark Knight, with Kevin Conroy voiced the Bat.

Superman: Man of Steel
It is happening. Bryan Singer is still expected to return behind the camera, and Brandon Routh is odds on to return as well. Can’t forgive them for Superbaby. Maybe they’ll introduce Krypto the SuperDog this time? I’m out.

Fast and the Furious 4
More fast cars coming up, as Justin Lin – who helmed the third instalment in the franchise, Tokyo Drift – is back behind the camera. Vin Diesel and Paul Walker are back too, and the film heads to cinemas on 5 June 2009.

Underworld 3
Truthfully, were either of the two previous Underworld films actually any good? They have their fans, but enough to warrant a trilogy? Hmmm. Anyway, Kate Beckinsale has jumped ship for part three – the Rise Of The Lycans – and hubby Len Wiseman isn’t directing either. Instead, the current filming film – with Rhona Mitra and Bill Nighy – is being directed by Patrick Tatopoulos, who was production and creature designer on the franchise before. Lost me after “No Kate.”

The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian
We could have sworn this was a videogame, but apparently there’s a film on the way too – unsurprisingly, given that The Mummy 3 is on the way as well. This one’s likely to go straight to DVD, though, not least because Russell Mulcahy (last seen working on Resident Evil: Extinction) is behind the camera. Nobody you’ve ever heard of is in the cast, and the film has wrapped shooting.

Point Break 2
The popular Patrick Swayze/Keanu Reeves surfing action movie is set for a sequel, albeit with a new cast and no sign of original director Kathryn Bigelow. Set 20 years after the original, this time it’s W Peter Illiff who is writing and directing (he had a writing credit on the original). Expect it next year. Doesn’t Swayze have cancer?

Inside Man 2
Spike Lee’s crime thriller original was a good, strongly made but hardly memorable night out at the movies. It did well at the box office, though, and so a script is being written for a potential sequel in 2010.

Baby Geniuses 3
Good God. Apparently, the idea this time is that kids swap roles with their parents. If that means they go and get a job, have to face the realities of the world and stop watching Teletubies.

Little Fockers
It’s due in 2009.

Step Up 3-D
The second film did well. That means a button has been pressed to order a third. That is all.

Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-Li
No Kylie or Jean-Claude this time round, with the big names in the cast being American Pie’s Chris Klein and The Green Mile’s Michael Clarke Duncan. It’s due out next year, and behind the camera is Doom director Andrzej Bartkowiak.

Spawn 2
A sequel to one of the worst comic-book tie-in movies of all time is in the planning stages. Current status of the project is pre-script, so don’t hold your breath. Todd McFarlane is set to write the screenplay, though.

Boogeyman 3
Must have missed the fact that they did Boogeyman 2 to be honest. More straight to video goodness (or, more likely badness), is already in post-production.

Vacancy 2
A new cast. A new director (Eric Bross, who did a fine little indie film called Ten Benny). A real smell of straight to DVD about it.

Jumper 2
Jumper proved to be a big hit overseas. Early exploratory work has started on a follow-up, and currently Doug Liman’s name is linked with the project. Don’t expect to hear much else on it for a while, though.

Into The Blue 2
Didn’t get enough of Paul Walker and Jessica Alba last time round? Well the chances of attracting them back aren’t great, but that hasn’t stopped MGM from commissioning a sequel to its glossy rip-off of The Deep.

Robocop
Will it be a sequel, a reboot or a ‘reimagining’? All we know is that it’s on MGM’s production slate right now, even if further details aren’t yet forthcoming. Please leave this alone. If you’re going back to this well, remake RoboCop 2 – one of the WORST movies I’ve ever seen.

This list was “Reimagined” from Den of Geek