8 movie remakes to prep the popcorn for
Image credit: Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures
Ghostbusters
Sure, the 2016 all-female Ghostbusters reboot didn’t hit with die-hard fans of the supernatural comedy film franchise but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more life in this ghostbusting tale. Which must be the thinking behind the slated 2020 release of a new Ghostbusters.
Variety reports a fourth installment is in the works with Jason Reitman in the director’s chair. Ghostbusters’ fans will no doubt recognise the name, Reitman’s father, Ivan Reitman, directed the original 1984 Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as three eccentric parapsychologists who start their own ‘ghostbusting’ business to investigate and capture ghosts. The movie was a huge hit at the time and is a beloved icon of the comedy genre; who hasn’t said “Who you gonna call?” (the lyrics from the theme song) atleast once in their life?
Sony Pictures has released a teaser trailer announcing the sequel and while there are no details as yet on the plot, the cast is reportedly coming together. Variety reports Paul Rudd is in talks take on a role in the film, along with Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace.
Image credit: Scooby-Doo, Warner Bros.
Scooby-Doo
Jinkies! Everyone’s favourite sci-fi mystery solving gang is coming back to the big screen in an animated movie with fresh new voices for Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their famed great dane, Scooby-Doo.
The popular long-running TV series, which launched on the small screen in 1969, has had a number of live-action remakes and animated movies already. The most notable live-action remake was 2002’s Scooby-Doo and the 2004 follow-up Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. Both films had the cool kid actors of the 2000s in lead roles with ’90s/’00s heartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred Jones, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne Blake, and were hits with fans of both the animated Scooby-Doo series and fans of Prinze Jr. and Gellar. They were fun Friday night popcorn flicks which saw the gang tasked with solving a supernatural mystery in their signature hilarious, quirky style.
There was a third film reportedly in the works until the box office numbers for the second film came in below expectations and it was put in the “maybe later” pile. That maybe later never did happen, but Variety reports Warner Bros. (the studio behind the two live-action remakes) has revealed an animated Scooby-Doo movie is in the works, titled Scoob, with Zac Efron signed on to voice Fred and Amanda Seyfried to voice Daphne. According to Variety, Will Forte will voice Scooby’s BFF, Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, and Gina Rodriguez will voice Velma Dinkley. Scoob is set to hit cinemas in May 2020.
Image credit: Coming to America, Paramount Pictures
Coming to America
The 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall at the peak of their comedic genius is, without doubt, one of the funniest comedies of all time. Murphy stars as pampered but good hearted prince Prince Akeem, from the fictional African country of Zamunda who, rather than marry the woman his parent’s have arranged for him to marry on this 21st birthday, wishes to see the world and fall in love on his own terms.
Prince Akeem sets off to find his queen with his irrepressible best friend/aide Semmi (Arsenio Hall) by his side, landing on Queens, New York as the place where he will find true love. The two pose undercover as poor foreign students and are total fish out of water, providing next level entertainment and laughs in their quest to find Prince Akeem’s queen.
The movie is still as fresh and funny 30 years on, so the news of a sequel has seen fans in excitement overdrive. E News reports Eddie Murphy is set to reprise his role as Prince Akeem with the actor sharing his delight at returning to the iconic role in a statement: “After many years of anticipation, I’m thrilled that Coming to America 2 is officially moving forward.”
Variety reports an official release date for the sequel has been set for August 2020.
Image credit: West Side Story, United Artists
West Side Story
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Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg is remaking the classic American tragic romantic musical West Side Story, which was both a Broadway musical debuting in 1957 and a 1961 film. The story is a modern day retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set in the streets of New York City with the rivalry between two gangs instead of two families. The 1961 movie was a huge hit winning over audiences and critics alike, taking home a record-breaking 10 Academy Awards that year, the most Oscars for any movie musical ever. That record still stands today, six statuettes in 2017 don’t even come close to knocking off the winner’s podium.
Spielberg’s remake is slated to begin filming in the US summer (Australia’s winter) of this year, with Variety reporting he’s cast the lead roles: Ansel Elgort will play Tony and Rachel Zegler —a 17-year-old unknown— will play Maria. Get ready to sing along, laugh and cry.
Top Gun
If you haven’t seen the adrenalin-fueled 1986 Tom Cruise-starring, Oscar-winning film about an elite US fighter pilot training school, drop what you’re doing and download it STAT. This is one of the most referenced films of all time with so many quotable lines, moments and scenes it’s impossible to call out just one. The original flick starred all the biggest names at the time and some unknowns who found stardom thanks to the movie including, Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt and Meg Ryan. The
Top Gun sequel is slated for a June 26, 2020 release with Tom Cruise reprising his role as ‘Maverick’ and Val Kilmer back as ‘Iceman’. According to
Variety the
Top Gun sequel will be “set in the world of drone technology and fifth generation fighters.”
Variety also reports Miles Teller is rumoured to be playing ‘Goose’s’ son (played by Anthony Edwards in the first film) and Maverick’s (Tom Cruise) new protégé fighter pilot trainee.
Splash
The ‘80s were a goldmine for film between screwball comedies, rom-coms, action and family-friendly there was an enormous slate of great flicks and none more watchable than the 1984 film starring a young Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah about a man who falls in love with the girl who saves him from drowning, not realizing she’s a mermaid. This rom-com became a huge hit back in the ‘80s because who doesn’t love a love story involving a mermaid? So, of course this story is getting a reboot, albeit with a twist. The reboot was announced back in 2016 and is currently still ‘in production’ with Channing Tatum rumoured to be starring in the role originally played by Daryl Hannah, but as a merman. No news on a release date yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
Charlie’s Angels
The original
Charlie’s Angels was a TV show which aired in the ‘70s about three kick-ass crime-fighting ladies played by Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith. Glamour and gumption went hand-in-hand in this series with no criminal too smart or tough for this trio of strong-yet-stylish private detectives who reported to a mysterious boss called ‘Charlie’. In 2000 it landed a movie reboot starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu and a sequel followed in 2003. Now, we’re set for another
reboot with a 2019 release date on the cards, Elizabeth Banks
(Pitch Perfect 2) directing and Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska attached to star.
Indiana Jones 5
The next installment in this mega hit action/adventure franchise is set to begin filming in April 2019 with a release date some time in 2020. The incredibly fun history-making film franchise burst onto the pop culture radar in 1981 with
Raiders of the Lost Ark starring Harrison Ford as Dr Henry Walton ‘Indiana’ Jones, Jr. Ford has starred in all four films in the franchise so far with
The New Daily reporting this will be his last and director Steven Spielberg (who has directed all the
Indiana Jones movies) hinting that even though Ford will retire the character will live on in some form, possibly as a female character called ‘Joan’.