Every summer, Hollywood seemingly prides itself on releasing reboots and remakes, trying to outdo the originals by constantly revisiting overused storylines and plots in an attempt to find that summer’s next big blockbuster. This year, just like the many summers before, is shaping up to also release its share of revivals.
Some familiar titles to look out for this season include, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “The Mummy,” “It,” “Baywatch,” “Going In Style,” “Alien: Covenant” and “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.”
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” in particular is probably one of the more anticipated of the summer bunch, as the movie is already getting its second reboot after only having been originally released in 2001. Moreover, this time around, Marvel, who has the rights to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, is making another high school aged Spider-Man origin film.
The summer of last year’s reboots included, “Alice in Wonderland,” “Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles,” “The Legend of Tarzan” and “Ghostbusters.”
While the movies did underperform, The Los Angeles Times shared data that, while movie tickets were on a steady increase, reboots and remakes tended to come up short.
Jeff Bock, box office analyst for tracking firm Exhibitor Relations, told the LA Times, “anytime you mention ‘reboot’ and ‘remake,’ the audience thinks ‘rip-off.”
As a matter of fact, last summer’s remake of “Ghostbusters” was met with negative reviews from critics and faced backlash from some, partially due to the all female cast.
While “Ghostbusters” received a 55 percent from Rotten Tomatoes, critic consensus described the reboot as doing, “impressive job of standing on its own as a freewheeling, marvelously cast supernatural comedy — even if it can’t help but pale somewhat in comparison with the classic original.”
For enthusiastic moviegoers, the remake viewing experience doesn’t always depend on the slight changes of plot, but rather, how the film is affected by the way that producers and directors carry the reboot.
A few successful reboots doesn’t necessarily mean success for all, and endless remakes and reboots that come out of Hollywood will most likely not stop anytime soon. While American moviegoers may be used to seeing the same plotline over and over again, the LA Times alludes that they simply won’t die as studios, “rely heavily on dusting off old movies and known properties to draw audiences who are increasingly picky about their entertainment options.”
And while one may tire of seeing the same movie every couple of years, the studios will most likely not stop remaking them anytime soon, due to another critical factor.
Daniel Loria, editorial director of Boxoffice Media explained to The Washington Post that remakes had much more to do with overseas audiences, more than North American audiences.
“We’re playing a global box office game now,” she said. “North America alone isn’t the say-all, end-all in the total global picture of box office sales.”
So take your pick for the summer, sit back and try to feel the nostalgia. Even if you don’t, I’m sure you’ll get another chance to see a newer version of it in a few years.
