121 Movie Remakes and Reboots Currently in the Works
From Dune to Shrek, behold our list of film reboots and remakes in development...
Over the years that Den of Geek has been going, we’ve regularly been charting the assortment of reboots and remakes that are making their way through the Hollywood system. This then is the current state of play. We’ve removed a bunch of projects that seem utterly dead–remakes of Videodrome and Timecrimes, for instance–but we’ll keep this list up to date as and when we hear of more.
Ace Ventura
Following in the muddy pawprints of Ace Ventura Jr. and the animated 1990s TV show, another attempt to revive the Ace Ventura franchise without the involvement of Jim Carrey is underway. It’s very early days, but Morgan Creek Productions are definitely looking into it. They’re currently trying to sell a lot of their properties, but have held onto the remake rights for Ace Ventura, which they’ve attempted to work on relaunching, according to Deadline. There hasn’t been any public movement on this project since 2017, however, so the idea may have lost traction.
read more: The Behind the Scenes Troubles of Ace Ventura 2
Akira
One of Hollywood’s most on-and-off projects, the current state of the live-action Akira remake is that it’s back in the works. Marco J. Ramirez, the showrunner for season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil show, has been hired to pen a screenplay. Warner Bros. is still backing the film, which was previously abandoned over budget issues. Jaume Collet-Sera (Non-Stop), who had been set to direct, then exited the picture. Tantalizingly, Taika Waititi became attached for the project which was then aiming for a May 2021 release date. He has since signed up for two other films though, including Disney’s Thor: Love and Thunder, causing it to be highly unlikely he’d get to Akira in time for its 2021 release window. There is currently no official movement since Waititi’s initial involvement.
read more – Akira: Revisiting The Anime Classic
An American Werewolf in London
Max Landis was penning a remake of his father John Landis’ seminal horror comedy An American Werewolf in London. It was being produced by David Albert and Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead through their Skybound Entertainment company and as a first-look production deal with Universal Pictures. Given that Landis has since been accused of sexual misconduct and emotional abuse, we assume this project is dead. Though no one has confirmed it yet…
read more: An American Werewolf in London is Still the Best Horror Reimagining
A Prophet
The acclaimed Jacques Audiard movie, A Prophet, is one of the best crime sagas to hit the big screen in the past 10 years. If you’ve not seen it yet, then it’s a hugely rewarding, if difficult to watch at times, piece of cinema. Sony has now taken out an option for an English language remake, which Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe will be producing under the Original Film banner. Dennis Lehane was hired to write the screenplay at the end of 2013, and in January 2016 Sam Raimi was said to be circling the director’s chair with intent. Things have gone quiet since.
Attack on Titan
Andy Muschietti just finished up It: Chapter 2, and he’s theoretically lined up Attack on Titan as a follow-up project next project–but as he has since also signed on to make WB’s newest version of a Flash movie, it remains to be seen if this movie will actually come to fruition.
The Batman
The big screen take on Batman was effectively rebooted in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where Ben Affleck stepped into the cape and cowl. Beyond that, though, a fresh trilogy of Batman movies is currently being planned, and the director of the last two Planet of the Apes films, Matt Reeves, will be steering the ship. Expect it in 2021, the movie stars Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame as a rebooted version of Bruce Wayne. He also will have a murderer’s row of talent as his rogues’ gallery, including Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Paul Dano as the Riddler, and Colin Farrell as the Penguin. It is unlikely this will be directly connected to Zack Snyder and Ben Affleck’s approach toward the character.
read more: The Batman Solo Movie: Everything We Know
Big Man Japan
The 2007 mockumentary comedy kaiju movie Big Man Japan is something of a treat, telling the story of an ordinary man who becomes an outcast, in no small part down to his talent for turning into a gigantic hero to save Japan from lots of monsters. The U.S. remake has attracted Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay (Clash of the Titans, R.I.P.D.) to write the script. There’s been no formal greenlight yet, or announcement of a director. What’s more, there’s been no real update since 2013, so this one is sitting in limbo a little…
Big Trouble in Little China
One of the few John Carpenter movies to thus far escape the remake treatment? Well, that would have been Big Trouble in Little China, but over the summer of 2018, news broke that a remake was indeed in the works. Kurt Russell has given his blessing and wished the project good luck.
Dwayne Johnson is set to headline the film, which is being penned by Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz. Johnson has already said that he wants John Carpenter involved in the project in some capacity too. It’s still in the writing stages thus far, and Johnson’s jam-packed slate means that even if everything goes to plan, this one is unlikely to shoot for a while.
The Birds
Yep, the Alfred Hitchcock classic. Mind you, following the shot-for-shot remake of Psycho, little should come as a shock. The new take on The Birds was originally expected to be overseen by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes company, and Bay himself is one of the listed producers. However, that project fell apart and has been reborn as a made for BBC TV movie that is expected to hew closer to Daphne du Maurier’s source material novel from 1952. However, there’s been little project on this remake since 2017.
Blade
At one time Wesley Snipes insisted he had enjoyed a few talks with Marvel Studios about rebooting his cult classic Blade franchise. Well, the series is indeed being rebooted by Marvel, but now with two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali in the role of the Day Walker. Announced to great fanfare at the very end of Marvel’s 2019 San Diego Comic-Con panel, Ali came out to a crowd of thousands donning a Blade baseball cap. It was the craziest party the character’s had since dancing in blood at a 1998 rave.
read more: Blade Reboot – What We Know
The Blob
Con Air director Simon West promised us to harness the power and potential of modern CG in his new take on The Blob. Goldcrest Film is funding the project, and it seems fairly high up West’s to-do list. So where’s it gone? Hmm.
read more: Why 1988’s The Blob is One of Horror’s Best Remakes
Bloodsport
There’s going to be no Jean-Claude Van Damme in the announced remake of Bloodsport that’s currently in the works. Robert Mark Kamen, the co-writer of Taken 2, has been working on the script, and Phillip Noyce (Clear and Present Danger, Rabbit Proof Fence) had, at one stage, signed on to direct the movie. It’s still in the works as we understand it, and the plan is, apparently, for a film that’s more character driven than the original. Progress has been very slow on this one, however.
Candyman
Jordan Peele is attached to the produce Candyman remake–a project that had been stuck in development hell for nearly 20 years. Peele has plenty on his plate, but he has found a wonderful director in Nia DaCosta to oversee the project. Fresh off her remarkable Little Woods, she is directing new fan favorite yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the film, as well as the original Candyman, Tony Todd. The project has a June 12, 2020 release date.
Car Wash
Universal is working on a remake of Richard Pryor’s 1976 comedy Car Wash, which gave us that ridiculously catchy theme song as well as packing a few laughs. The studio is searching for a writer at the moment, so all we really know for the time being is that the new film will focus on, obviously, the employees of a car wash.
The Chronicles of Narnia
Netflix and Entertainment One are now backing The Chronicles of Narnia series, taking over from 20th Century Fox, with a slate of new TV series and film projects slated. Mark Gordon is producing, along with Douglas Gresham (C.S. Lewis’ stepson) and and the C.S. Lewis Company director Vincent Sieber serving as executive producers on the projects. Coco co-writer Matthew Aldrich is attached to be the “creative architect” on the projects. However, it’s unclear whether this will continue the movies begun by Disney and then Fox, or if it will be a clean reboot of the material.
Cliffhanger
Sylvester Stallone’s then-floundering career received a major shot in the arm with 1993’s Cliffhanger, where director Renny Harlin took him up some mountains and shot lots of film. Fun was had, even if John Lithgow is too harsh on his own performance. There had been talk for many years of a Cliffhanger sequel, The Dam, but that never panned out. Then back in 2009 came talk of a reboot from producer Neal Moritz, who’s overseen the new Total Recall and 21 Jump Street. And last year, Joe Gazzam was hired to pen a screenplay for a Cliffhanger remake/reboot, but that version fell apart. More recently, the project was repackaged by Moritz’s team at Cannes as a female-led reboot that’ll be directed by Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night). No one has been cast yet, although Jason Momoa is in talks to have apparently a “key cameo.”
Clue
The original Clue film was a comedic yarn that came out back in 1985, directed by Jonathan Lynn from a script based on a story idea that he came up with alongside John Landis. Another stab (or bludgeoning with lead piping) at the film is currently in development. Universal departed the project in 2011, but Hasbro has landed on its feet: 20th Century Fox became attached instead. We’ve been told that the new film “expands the narrative to a global stage,” so we may well see a few settings that aren’t libraries or billiard rooms. But hey, at least Ryan Reynolds is currently attached. Further, Disney is into the concept and is even talking with Jason Bateman to direct.
Clueless
As if anyone would remake Clueless… Technically, Clueless was already a remake of Jane Austen’s Emma, so we can forgive Paramount for giving the teen classic a modern makeover. Tracy Oliver (Girl’s Trip) is onboard to produce, with a screenplay that is being written by Marquita Robinson (Netflix’s Glow).
The Craft
The popular 1990s teen thriller The Craft is getting the remake treatment, with Honeymoon director Leigh Janiak writing and directing the new film. Phil Graziadei is to co-write the script. None of the original team–writer/director Andrew Fleming, cast members Neve Campbell, Fairuza Balk, Rachel True–are set to be involved. With that said, Blumhouse Productions has tapped Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Mission: Impossible) to appear in the movie, as well as The X-Files‘ David Duchovny. The movie is being directed by television stalwart Zoe Lister-Jones.
The Crow
Corin Hardy was due to direct and Jason Momoa was due to star in The Crow Rebron. The film has been stuck in development hell for quite some time, but was due to start shooting in 2018. However, Relativity, the studio producing it, just sold the rights to Davis Films, Highland Film Group and Electric Shadow, and Momoa left the project. So things are likely to have been heavily delayed.
Cube
The ingenious horror thriller Cube took a single location and really, really made it count. More than its sequel or prequel managed to, certainly. A new version was supposed to be on the way though, and it’s going by the name of Cubed. But now seems to have stalled for whatever reason.
Das Boot
Director Wolfgang Petersen’s exemplary submarine thriller, in either its film or TV guise, is pretty much unmissable cinema. That hasn’t made it resistant to the fickle finger of remake fate, however. German firm Bavaria Studios has picked up the rights to Das Boot, and it’s planning a reboot. Whether that’ll be in the form of a television miniseries or another feature film remains to be seen…
Don’t Look Now
Nope, nothing’s sacred. Nicolas Roeg’s 1973 horror classic has been picked up by The Picture Company for a remake, with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman producing. StudioCanal is set to distribute the new Don’t Look Now once it’s made, but there’s no writer or director on board yet that we know of.
Donald Sutherland isn’t impressed at all with the news, and has called the reboot plans “shameful.”
Dune
The new version of Dune is definitely pressing ahead, and it enjoys a visionary director–Denis Villeneuve, the man behind the camera on Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) is in attached to star, as is Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Fallout). It may even be split up into two films. Yeah this is one we are really looking forward to.
Dungeons & Dragons
Legal mire has held up a planned movie reboot of Dungeons & Dragons for the best part of a decade. There have been three films to date, although only the 2000 original made it to a cinema. However, Warner Bros and Hasbro have now put their lawyers away, and David Leslie Johnson had been hired to write a script for a new Dungeons & Dragons. Chris McKay briefly looked like he would be directing the film, but nothing concrete has materialized and rumors as recently as 2019 swirl that new drafts of the script are being written. The movie is technically still penciled in for a 2021 release date… but don’t bet on it.
The Entity
Sidney Furie’s 1983 horror The Entity has landed on the desk of The Conjuring and Aquaman director James Wan. He’s set to produce a new take on the project with Chad and Carey Hayes writing the screenplay for the new version. No director has thus far been announced though, but given how busy his schedule is, it won’t be Wan.
Escape from New York
The Escape from New York remake is moving forward, and now has a director to attached in one Leigh Whannell (Upgrade, The Invisible Man). John Carpenter will serve as executive producer. At one stage, one of Charlie Hunnam, Jon Bernthal, or Dan Stevens was in line for the role of Snake Plissken, but all has gone a little quiet on the casting front.
Every Which Way But Loose
The director of the original film, James Fargo, is producing this. And in the director’s chair will step Anthony G. Cohen, who previously helmed The Sex Trip. No casting or release date news as of yet.
Fantastic Voyage
A remake of the 1966 sci-fi adventure Fantastic Voyage–which saw a submarine crew shrunk and injected into a scientist’s body to try and repair his brain–has been on James Cameron’s slate for a while. His long-time chum Guillermo del Toro is now in talks to direct, but after winning an Oscar for The Shape of Water, he’s moved onto other things and this one might be good and dead.
Firestarter
Stephen King’s 1980 novel Firestarter was going to be adapted as a feature film for the second time by Blumhouse. The news was revealed by producer Jason Blum (Get Out, Split, The Purge), who initially had hired A Winter’s Tale‘s Akiva Goldsman to direct. That version fell apart and for a while it looked like Fatih Akin would direct instead. That production likewise couldn’t get off the ground in 2018. There is currently no one attached on this redo.
read more: Revisiting the Adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter
Five Fingers of Death
Brett Ratner is remaking the Shaw Brothers’ 1973 martial arts spectacular, Five Fingers of Death. He’ll direct the film, as well as being a producer for the project alongside James Packer. The original film followed a young fighter entering a major fighting tournament in his master’s stead, and also packed in an engaging betrayal arc. Ratner is in what some could call Hollywood jail for the many allegations that have been leveled against him, so I’d imagine someone else taking over this one.
Flash Gordon
Julius Avery (Overlord) was supposed to direct a Flash Gordon remake–taking over a project that sat with Matthew Vaughn. The movie was in development at 20th Century Fox but fell apart after Disney acquired the historic studio. It now looks like Flash Gordon will be an animated movie, which Taika Waititi was recently said to be in talks of writing (but not directing). There is no more official word on its current state.
further reading: Stephen E. de Souza Interview
Flight of the Navigator
For a while, off the back of the wonderful Safety Not Guaranteed, it looked as if director Colin Trevorrow was in line to remake Flight of the Navigator. Then he landed the Jurassic World job, and after that came the news that he’s directing the third film in the series. He’s going to be a busy man. As such, he told us in June 2015 that “I think it’s moved on.” He confirmed that he and regular collaborator Derek Connolly had penned a screenplay for the new film, but that he is no longer involved in the project. Little else has been heard of the remake, but it’s assumed that it’s still active in some dark corner of Hollywood.
The Fly
The new Fly remake had director attached in 2017, J.D. Dillard–who sprung to attention off the back of his debut feature, Sleight–set to call the shots. He was also going to co-write the screenplay to the movie with Alex Theurer, his usual writing partner, with both taking on a rehash of David Cronenberg’s body horror cult classic. No public movement has happened since that announcement.
read more: The Fly is Still David Cronenberg’s Masterpiece
Friday the 13th
NBA legend LeBron James was in talks to produce a new Friday the 13th reboot that features Jason Voorhees and some presumably scantily clad campers. James’ SpringHill Entertainment chatted with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment to acquire the rights to the Friday the 13th franchise, which has been dormant for 10 years. This is not exactly a surprising development considering Halloween, a pseudo-reboot of the Michael Myers franchise produced by Jason Blum’s Blumohouse and Universal Pictures, just posted the second biggest opening weekend in October history last year. Little movement has happened since, however Blum has publicly made clear he would love to remake Friday the 13th should the legal rights ever come his way.
The Fugitive
Lord knows so far whether this one’s going to be a reboot, a remake or a very belated sequel. Yet Warner Bros. has put a new The Fugitive film into development. WB just recently tapped Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli, From Hell) to direct the remake. Brian Tucker (Broken City) is writing the screenplay.
Ghostbusters
What is this doing here? Didn’t they just reboot it?! Yes, but four years later Sony is trying again. And why not? A definite nostalgic reboot that is a loose sequel to the original two movies, Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars the grandchildren of Egan who discover his Ghostbusting equipment in an abandoned small town on a farm. The film is written and directed by Jason Reitman, the son of Ivan Reitman. It is definitely a tribute to the original two movies, and is set to feature cameos from Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson, but let’s see if it can stand on its own two feet with leads played by Carrie Coon and Paul Rudd.
Green Lantern
Warner Bros. is coming around for a second go at bringing Green Lantern to the screen, following the underwhelming Martin Campbell-helmed 2011 venture. Ryan Reynolds won’t be returning to star. The new film, going by the title Green Lantern Corps. Given the failure of Justice League and HBO Max developing its own Green Lantern series, this seemed to be quietly DOA, yet WB is insistent the project is alive and well.
read more: 142 Movie Sequels Currently in the Works
Gremlins
“It will almost definitely be a reboot,” said Chris Columbus back in 2018, talking to Metro America about Gremlins 3. Of course, the bigger news is that it’s still actually happening at all since the project has been on and off pretty much since Gremlins 2 came out. Perhaps that’s why it was later confirmed that while a remake is happening, it’s going to be on television and animated.
further reading: Why Gremlins 2 is Better Than the Original
The Grudge
Sam Raimi is to produce a new take on The Grudge, which will be the third English language version of the movie. Nicolas Pesce (The Eyes of My Mother) is directing and writing from a story originally conceived by Midnight Meat Train‘s Jeff Buhler. Betty Gilpin of Glow fame has already been cast in the lead role.
Headhunters
Based on the book by Jo Nesbo, the 2011 Norwegian thriller Headhunters is an excellent piece of work, one that was quickly snapped up for the remake treatment. Whilst there’s not been much noise about it since, we know that Sacha Gervasi (who directed Anvil) had been hired to write the script. Mark Wahlberg had expressed interest in the project too. There’s been no recent substantive progress though.
Highlander
Rebooting a film with a tagline “there can be only one” positively invites the world to chortle when a fresh take on the material is announced. John Wick co-director Chad Stahelski was set to shoot this one (Justin Lin, Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo had previously been attached). No actor is currently attached, but Stahelski is still adament about making this film and trying to “not fuck it up.”
Home Alone
Yes, Home Alone is getitng a reboot on Disney+! A byproduct of Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, the Home Alone reboot is one of the first major priorities made out of the Fox library. With that said, it is only going to streaming and will not be a (complete) remake. Rather it is set in the same continuity as the original two holiday classics (and less loved third one, we suppose?). Further it is not outside the realm of possibility some of the cast from the original might show up again. Archie Yates, meanwhile, who appeared in Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, has been cast in the lead role. Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney have also been cast. Dan Mazer is directing.
read more: Is Home Alone the Best Holiday Movie?
The Howling
Joe Dante’s 1981 werewolf movie was based on the novels by Gary Brandner, and the rights have now been picked up by Emaju Entertainment. Emaju in turn is pursuing a remake, although no writer or director is thus far attached. Andy Muschietti teased at SDCC in 2019 that he would like to remake it (but has not talked to anyone about doing so).
read more: The Howling II is Even More Ridiculous Than You Remember
Inspector Gadget
The Lego Movie producer Dan Lin has a new take on Inspector Gadget sitting on his slate. It’s fair to say that neither Matthew Broderick nor Rupert Everett will be getting a phone call about it, though. Independent of the recent, well-received CG animated series, Lin now just needs to find a writer and director to bring Gadget back to the big screen in live-action.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
A(nother) remake of the science fiction staple Invasion of the Body Snatchers is in development at Warner Bros., and David Leslie Johnson will pen the script. Johnson has had success writing The Conjuring 2 for the studio in the past.
read more: The Legacy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers
The Invisible Man
For a while, it looked like the producers behind the Divergent movies were developing a new movie take on H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man. However, things look to have changed. Universal Pictures has scrapped a “Dark Universe” version of the character, which was supposed to star Johnny Depp, and has turned to Jason Blum to return the IP to its horror roots. Smart choice, that. The Invisible Man remake is now due out in February 2020 from writer-director Leigh Whannell, and it has Elisabeth Moss set to star as the lead character bedeviled by an invisible ex-boyfriend…
Lilo & Stitch
Disney are currently turning almost every one of their old animations into live-action movies, and 2002’s Lilo & Stitch is already in the cards. The remake will be produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who are also producing Disney’s live-action Aladdin. Weirdly, the screenplay will be written by horror writer Mike Van Waes (who wrote The Crooked Man), and there’s a chance the film could be heading straight for Disney’s new streaming platform.
read more: Disney Live-Action Remakes Release Schedule
The Little Mermaid
Hamilton writer Lin-Manuel Miranda is teaming up with Disney and Alan Menken–who won an Oscar for his music to the original The Little Mermaid film–for the new live action telling of the story. New songs are expected to mingle with the classics, and Rob Marshall (Mary Poppins Returns, Chicago) is directing. But what has everyone’s jaws wagging is the cast of the remake, which includes Halle Bailey as Ariel and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. Javier Bardem is also circling the part of King Trident.
read more – The Disney Renaissance: The Rise and Fall of a Generational Touchstone
Little Shop of Horrors
Once expected to be produced by the CW’s Greg Berlanti, much of the creative talent involved in the Little Shop of Horrors remake remains a mystery. But the project is still active. It is expected to be a remake of the 1985 movie, or more precisely another film adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical, including with the songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Further, at one point Josh Gad was being eyed by Berlanti. While no one is cast, movement in late 2019 suggests Billy Porter and Lady Gaga have both had conversations about appearing in a film version, with Porter as Audrey II (the man-eating plant) and Gaga as Audrey I (his ill-fated namesake).
read more: The Little Shop of Horrors and the Tale of Its Lost Ending
Little Women
Frances Ha and Mistress America star/co-writer, and Lady Bird writer-director, Greta Gerwig is now following up her fresh round of Oscar nominations by helming the latest filmic adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century novel. She has also recruited some big talent to top the cast of the 1994 version, so she hired everyone–with Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, Timothée Chalamet, and Florence Pugh all starring.
Logan’s Run
Here are just a few of the people who have been involved in the elongated attempt to remake Logan’s Run. Director Carl Rinsch, James McTeigue, Nicolas Winding Refn, Bioshock creator Ken Levine, Bryan Singer, and Simon Kinberg have all at some point been associated with the project. WB most recently tapped Peter Craig (of The Hunger Games movies) to write the script in 2018. There has been no news since then.
Major League
This baseball comedy from 1989 is currently under discussion for a reboot. Morgan Creek Productions has held onto the rights to this one, despite looking to sell most of their other properties. The original had Charlie Sheen and Wesley Snipes in its cast, and quadrupled its tiny $11 million budget at the U.S. box office. On behalf of our Cleveland-based staff members, let’s hope they keep this one based in The Land too.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
This John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart Western has been reimagined as “an urban crime/thriller in the vein of The Departed, The Town and Mystic River.” The outlaws from the original have been recast as Polish gangsters. Yup. Moving on…
Masters of the Universe
Over two years since McG was appointed as director of the new Masters of the Universe film, we finally have concrete news that the movie is actually going to happen… with Aaron and Adam Nee directing. Sony has confirmed a release date for the movie, and we can expect it on March 5, 2021. Only Noah Centineo is so far cast in the role of He-Man, but we hope Dolph Lundgren gets a glorious cameo!
read more: The Wonderful Worldbuilding of The Masters of the Universe
Memento
The film that launched Christopher Nolan’s career, Memento, is getting remade. Seemingly, the mighty Mr. Nolan is not involved at all. It’s fair to say that the groundswell of online commenters weren’t very pleased when this news was announced.
It is (or was?) AMBI Pictures who are bankrolling the remake, and they have also bought the rights to Cruel Intentions, I Heart Huckabees, The Passion Of The Christ, Rush, Robot & Frank, and Donnie Darko. In 2015, Memento seemed to be their top priority. It’s been quieter since then though.
Mortal Kombat
New Line continues with its plan to reboot the Mortal Kombat movies, and it’s recruited James Wan–director of The Conjuring and Fast & Furious 7–to produce the new movie. The project is being directed by first-timer Simon McQuoid and is set to star Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, and Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade. The movie is due out in March 2021, and we have more about it right here.
Mulan
Underrated movie Mulan, one that’s often overlooked when the Walt Disney Animation Studios output of the late 1990s is quickly, and unfairly written off. But now it’s getting its time in the sun again. Disney’s series of live-action remakes continues to unfold with great expediency. Liu Yifei will be playing the girl who saved an empire after a months-long search during which time Disney interviewed over a thousand actresses across five continents. The film also has high pedigree in its direction from Niki Caro. The director enjoys an outstanding reputation for directing pictures like 2002’s Oscar nominated film, Whale Rider. Mulan will be getting down to business to defeat the Huns when it opens in theaters in March 2020.
read more: Mulan Remake: Everything We Know
The Naked Gun
There was recent movement in this decade to reboot The Naked Gun in the vein of the recent Vacation redo, which was more of a follow-up about the next generation starring Ed Helms. Indeed, Helms was previously attached to this remake but has since fallen out. Yet producer David Zucker promised as recently in 2018 that movement on a reboot is on. He even confirmed it is still about the son of Frank Drebin, saying, “Now it’s the son of Frank Drebin. There’s an evil Russian crime lord who killed Frank Drebin and swore to kill every Drebin he could find in the phone book so he and his mother Jane (Priscilla Presley) are in witness protection.”
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A second attempt to reboot the A Nightmare on Elm Street film series has been put into development by New Line. Following the underwhelming 2010 version, which saw Jackie Earle Haley take over the role of Freddy Krueger from Robert Englund, New Line opted not to press ahead with a sequel. Most recently writer and producer David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick told Gamespot he is still working on the reboot, but The Conjuring franchise is on the frontburner at New Line. Still, Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah have also revealed they’d like to reboot the franchise, so there is interest all around to make something happen.
further reading: Is Dream Warriors the Best A Nightmare on Elm Street?
Night at the Museum
Another Disney+ priority for the Mouse after consuming the Fox, there is not a lot known currently other than this will reboot (or loosely continue?) the 20th Century Fox produced Night at the Museum movies. The original trilogy was directed by Shawn Levy and of course starred Ben Stiller as a down-on-his-luck security guard recently hired by the Natural History Museum in New York City. But then he discovers a great secret: at night all the fossils, artifacts, and stuffed animals in the museum come alive!
Night of the Comet
Thom Eberhardt’s 1984 cult classic is heading for a remake with Roxanne Benjamin (Body at Brighton Rock) writing a screenplay for Orion Pictures. The original told the story of two sisters (played by Kelli Maroney and Catherine Mary Stewart) who battled cannibal zombies after an exctinction event, and the film went on to have a big influence on Joss Whedon when he made Buffy. There’s no word yet on when the Night of the Comet remake will begin production, and no release date has been set, but Benjamin confirmed in March 2019 that the script is done.
Nosferatu
The classic 1922 horror is being reworked by Studio 8, which previously hired Robert Eggers to write and direct its new take. Initially he cast his Witch leading lady, Anya Taylor-Joy, to play a lead role in the film but the movie has since apparently hit a wall. We spoke with Eggers about the project in October 2019 and he said “it would be a real shame” if the movie never got made. However, as it’s since been confirmed his next movie is a Vikings film called The Northman, we suspect this one may have gotten away.
Pirates of the Caribbean
This one isn’t officially confirmed yet, but everything seems to be pointing towards a Depp-less Pirates reboot. Disney clearly want to make a sixth film in the series, but rumours surrounding Depp’s personal life are looking likely to be a bit too contraversial for them to hire him back as Captain Jack. That could all still change, of course, but we’re expect a new lead to be annouced soon.
Planet of the Apes
Even though 20th Century Fox surprisingly, and miraculously, just rebooted this ancient franchise into something special in the past decade with the Andy Serkis-led Caesar trilogy, a Planet of the Apes reboot has become a top priority by Disney. This is the first reboot-minded mining of Fox’s library by the Mouse that is being pegged for a theatrical release. Wes Ball of The Maze Runner fame has been pegged to write and direct the reboot.
read more: Continuity of the Planet of the Apes Films Explained!
Private Benjamin
Private Benjamin–the 1980 Goldie Hawn comedy which spawned a TV show as well as making a splash cinematically–at one point was getting the remake treatment. In 2014 it was announced Rebel Wilson was circling the project with an eye to star in it. That obviously did not happen, and the word has been mum on the movie ever since.
Pumpkinhead
The 1988 demonic horror flick Pumpkinhead is being remade for the modern cinematic age. Peter Block, one of Saw‘s executive producers, has picked up the rights and put a reboot into development.
“There is a similarity of theme and a similarity of story,” Block told EW. “There’s a lot of Easter eggs for people who know the original — iconic shots and iconic lines that we’re going to use. But we’ve enhanced the setting, and we’ve expanded the characters somewhat, to give it a different kind of experience.” As recently as November 2019, Block has assured the press the movie is happening.
Red Sonja
For a long time, Rose McGowan was set to take the title role in a Red Sonja reboot, and Robert Rodriguez was developing the movie with an eye on directing it. But then things fell apart, with Con Air‘s Simon West next to be linked. He too movied on, as did potential stars Megan Fox and Amber Heard. In 2018, Bryan Singer was infamously attached to direct, but there were several unspoken reasons why that probably wasn’t a great idea. The film has since shifted again with it being revealed in summer 2019 that Transparent‘s Jill Soloway is slated to direct. We’ll believe it when we see it, but getting a woman to direct this problematic material is probably a smart move.
Resident Evil
You probably saw it coming, but maybe not as fast as it did. As soon as the last movie in the Resident Evil film franchise left theaters, a reboot of the whole thing was announced. At this point, it is being written and directed by Johannes Roberts (47 Meters Down). Ok doke, then. To be fair, he recently told Slashfilm it will be much more horrific, like the games, than the Paul W.S. Anderson franchise that came before it.
read more: The George Romero Resident Evil We Never Saw
Road House
The Patrick Swayze favorite was pegged for a remake back since at least 2013. More recently Ronda Rousey–the UFC fighter who popped up in Furious 7 and the Entourage film–nabbed the lead role. We also know that Michael Stokes had penned a screenplay for the new film, and that Rob Cohen, of xXx and The Fast and the Furious, was set to direct at some stage. All parties then departed, however, and Nick Cassavettes (The Notebook, Alpha Dog) was the last director attached. With that said, Cassavetes wrote a screneplay with Cassie Pappas (Tyrant), so the project might still be developing.
Scarface
Universal have been losing directors by the handful for the latest screen version of Scarface, following Howard Hawks’ 1932 original and Brian De Palma’s 1983 remake. Martin Bregman and Marc Shmuger are producing (Bregman also produced the De Palma version) though, and the setting this time will be present day Los Angeles. Last we heard, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer was working on the script and Antoine Fuqua was attached again as director. Diego Luna has also remained attached through several interations of the project as the new Tony, but last we heard Fuqua and Luna were working with another writer on another version of a script once previously penned by the Coen Brothers.
She’s All That
The oeuvre of Freddie Prinze Jr. has attracted the interest of film remakers. Miramax was working on a new She’s All That, which in turn was loosely based on Pygmalion, but the project seems to have stalled after the Weinstein fallout. Tonya Lewis Lee was set to produce the new film, and Kenny Leon was linked with the director’s chair on the project… once.
Short Circuit
As much as we love them, Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2 are a pair of films that really do show their age. That said, the raw materials remain fun, and perhaps that’s why Dimension Films remain keen on a new Short Circuit franchise. They’ve hired Tim Hill, of the first two Alvin and the Chipmunks movies (as well as Muppets From Space), to direct the new film, with Matt Lieberman writing. We’re going to get an edgier robot too, we gather. Fisher Stevens, who appeared in the first two movies, is linked with the new one. But there’s been no word on the new Short Circuit for a little while now. Has the project been quietly dropped, we wonder?
Shrek
Chris Meledandri, the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, has been tasked with rebooting the Shrek-verse, and it sounds like he wants to keep some elements of the originals (ie, the voices) intact. “Reboot” is still the term being used here though, so this will likely be a very new story with the same old characters. Could it even have a completely different art style?
Sister Act
The first Sister Act movie was a big surprise hit in 1992, one of the biggest of Whoopi Goldberg’s career. The second, Back in the Habit, wasn’t, but the Sister Act name then went to Broadway and enjoyed a fresh wave of success. Whoppi Goldberg has since confirmed she will not be involved in the movie in any major capacity and that it is essentially a remake. Further what is still being bandied about as “Sister Act 3” will be developed exclusively for Disney’s streaming service, Disney+. Insecure‘s Regina Hicks and Star‘s Karin Gist are writing the screenplay.
Spawn
When creator Todd McFarlane announced that he was ready to direct and write a new Spawn reboot film for the paltry sum of $10 million, many (admittedly, including ourselves) threw shade at the idea that it would actually ever happen. The first attempt to bring the antihero to the big screen was a massive failure, and McFarlane’s insistence that he be the one to rule the roost with complete creative control seemed unworkable for the majority of the studios he approached with the project.
But then Blumhouse stepped in. The low budget horror production house behind smash hits like Get Out and Sinister was willing to put up the touted $10 mil… as long as no one got paid until it made a profit. Everyone seemingly agreed to these terms, and production was poised to be underway in 2017 with Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner starring. And then… it didn’t happen. McFarlane insisted in 2019 that he’s still fighting the good fight, but mum’s the word.
Splash
Producer Brian Grazer once confirmed that plans are afoot for a new take on the 1984 hit, Splash. Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah starred in Ron Howard’s original version, while Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell were originally set to appear in the remake. Tatum is playing a merman. Hanks later gave the revival his blessing. Still, there’s been no movement on this project since 2016, although Bell said in 2019 that it is still happening. One might assume it’d be a good fit for Disney+ at htis point…
Starship Troopers
A new take on Robert Heinlein’s book Starship Troopers is supposed to be coming to the big screen. Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, the duo who worked on the Baywatch movie, wrote what is rumored to be a “faithful” adaptation of Heinlein’s novel. Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 took a satirical angle at the source material, which has been described as”militaristic” and “fascistic,” by echoing Nazi propaganda films like Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will, but hey, a direct approach at adapting the novel will probably go over like gangbusters in today’s day and age. Verhoeven agrees, previously saying a fascist remake would be perfect for the Trump presidency. Yikes…
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Strangers on a Train
This one’s stalled out, but is intriguing enough of an idea we actually support seeing it rebound. The Gone Girl team of director David Fincher and writer Gillian Flynn were revealed to be attached to a new take on Alfred Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train. One that would star Ben Affleck and be set on a fateful train ride the evening of the Academy Awards ceremony, and in which Affleck would play a movie star roped into murder. That was at the start of January 2015. Since then, Flynn has admitted that their schedules have made fitting the project in tricky, but it’s still believed to be on the proverbial stove. We’re still open to it, if only due to Fincher’s bemusing idea of setting it in the entertainment industry.
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Stuart Little
The trilogy of movies based on E.B. White’s Stuart Little resulted in one big hit, one decent hit, and one straight to DVD release in the ’90s and ’00s. Sony is thus going back to the drawing board for a new Stuart Little, which we’re told are going to be “more comedic” this time around. There’s no timescale on the project as of yet though.
Sword in the Stone
Disney’s 1963 animated feature is getting the live action remake treatment. Bryan Cogman, a writer and producer on Game of Thrones, is working on the screenplay for a new movie. He was also involved in Disney’s 2016 remake of The Jungle Book. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later) is meanwhile tapped to direct.
The Ten Commandments
The biblical tale of Moses and the Ten Commandments has been told on screen several times over the years. The best known version until now was Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 production, which picked up an Academy Award for Best Special Effects. This one comes from Paramount, and not long after Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings trod similar ground. There’s no director attached yet.
read more: Can the Biblical Epic be Resurrected?
Terms of Endearment
The new version of Terms of Endearment will see Larry McMurty’s source novel mined once more, and Lee Daniels (The Butler) is in line to direct this time around. Furthermore, Oprah Winfrey is on board, and she’s set to take on the role of Aurora in the new movie. There’s no word yet on who will be taking on the role of her daughter.
The Thomas Crown Affair
A second remake of the 1968 Steve McQueen-starring heist movie, The Thomas Crown Affair is currently in development. We already got the Pierce Brosnan version in 1999, and now Creed star Michael B. Jordan is believed to be attached to a new take on the material. No director attached yet, as far as we know.
Timecop
1994’s Timecop was one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s biggest ever hits. It was based on a comic book, and a new take on the material is in the planning stages. Mark and Brian Gunn, who penned Journey 2: The Mysterious Island were once writing a script, and the new Timecop will be – get your remake buzzword bingo card ready – gritty, more grounded, with the sci-fi in the background. That was almost seven years ago, so maybe not hold your breath for this, eh?
Toxic Avenger
Just a few years ago, the mooted remake of Troma’s Toxic Avenger had Arnold Schwarzenegger interested in taking a supporting role. Steve Pink, who helmed Hot Tub Time Machine 2, penned the script for the new film, and he confirmed earlier in the year that the screenplay had been completed. Arnie, though, opted to make Terminator: Genisys instead, and that left Toxic Avenger in limbo. The project was then getting nowhere fast, including when Sausage Party’s Conrad Vernon became attached to direct. Most recently it has seen its prospects dissolve into radioactive goo, but regeneration might be just around the corner. In late 2018, Legendary Pictures picked up the rights to attempt the remake next.
read more: A Brief History of Troma’s Superhero Franchise
Valley Girl
The original Valley Girl featured Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman, neither of whom are near the new version it seems. Instead, Poldark star Josh Whitehouse has nabbed the lead this time around, playing the punk rock musician who falls for a girl who’s not so punk-rocky. Jessica Rothe is his co-star in the new film, that Amy Lee Talkington and Marti Noxon have penned the screenplay for. Behind the camera this time is Rachel Lee Goldenberg. The film has been completed but there is no release date as of yet.
Van Helsing
A reboot of Van Helsing has been planned for years. That does not look likely to change. The script was previously in the hands of writer Dan Mazeau. Mazeau, whose only major credited screenplay was the 2012 Greek myth series sequel Wrath of the Titans, is in the process of rewriting the Van Helsing script after it was originally drafted by The Mummy writer Jon Spaihts (Passengers) and Eric Heisserer (Arrival). Universal was intending their new take to be part of their Dark Universe though, so the plans have likely been shelved for the time being. During that dark (heh) period, the studio had its eye on Channing Tatum. But everything regarding the classic monster characters now appears to be in flux.
The Warriors
Huge fans of Walter Hill’s The Warriors here, which occasionally finds itself thrown into remake discussions. Way back when, Mark Neveldine, the co-writer/director of the Crank films, admitted that he and Brian Taylor are interested in tackling a new take on The Warriors. “It’s just in rights hell at the moment,” he told Screencrush at the time. Since then the project appears to have stalled and the last we heard, the Russo Brothers were tasked fresh off Captain America: Civil War to produce a television series adaptation, so maybe expect the reboot for the small screen?
White Men Can’t Jump
The 1992 basketball comedy White Men Can’t Jump, starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, is (or at least was) in line for a big screen do-over. In 2017, it was in the hands of Kenya Barris, the creator of Black-ish, and 20th Century Fox was backing the project, as it did the original. Barris would produce and write. However, the shape of the project post Disney takeover remains a mystery.
The Wild Bunch
Mel Gibson is writing and directing a remake of The Wild Bunch. There were once plans for the remake to be set in the a modern day (with Will Smith taking on a Mexican cartel) but it seems like Gibson is sticking with the Western genre. Since the original film is considered to be one of the best Westerns ever made, there’s quite a lot riding on this one…
The Wolfman
Not many people look back at the troubled production of 2010’s The Wolfman with much fondness. Not many people look back with fondness at the film itself either. Nonetheless, a further reboot was planned as part of Universal’s dark universe. Aaron Guzikowski, who wrote the excellent Prisoners, was on scripting duties, but the project has been shelved ever since the Dark Universe failed to take off.
Wrong Turn
Five sequels is clearly enough, so it’s time to start again with Wrong Turn. Constantin Films has tapped franchise creator Alan B. McElroy to write a script that updates his original cannibal-killers-in-the-woods concept, with Mike P. Nelson (The Domestics, Studio Luma) set to direct. The reboot will apparently lose the basic “car breaks down in the wrong place” concept, and focus on a group of hikers who find a load of cannibal killers in the woods instead. The film now has the title Wrong Turn: The Foundation and is expected in 2020.
Your Name
Your Name has been one of the global box office successes of 2017, notching up over $350 million of business across the world, off the back of ecstatic reviews. That’s the kind of money that makes Hollywood interested, so of course an American live-action remake of the film is on the cards. J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot company has picked up the rights, and Abrams himself will be one of the producers of the movie. He isn’t likely to direct though, not least due to his commitment to Star Wars: Episode IX.
A screenwriter has already been hired, though. Eric Heisserer, best known for Arrival, is set to write the script for this one.
Zorro Reborn
We don’t make these things up you know. Plans have been afoot to reboot the Zorro movies since 2005’s The Legend Of Zorro failed to match the majesty of 1999’s The Mask Of Zorro. The latest approach–and we wonder if all concerned had a day out watching Mad Max: Fury Road–is to set it in the near future, in post-apocalyptic times. The film has since been retitled Z and has cast the wonderful Kiersey Clemons (Dope, Neighbors, supposedly that Flash movie that keeps never happning) in a lead role. The excellent Gael García Bernal (Coco, Y Tu Mamá También) has been cast as Zorro himself, while Jonas Cuarón, co-writer of Gravity, is directing. Still, we’ll believe it when we see it though.