Why does Hollywood insist on remaking classic films?

Question

Most remakes are dreadful.

Answer 1

Believe it or not, this is nothing new.

The very first hit film shot in Hollywood, a silent Western named "The Squaw Man", was remade at least three times. And the first talking movie, "The Jazz Singer" was also remade three times.

Why? Because when studios make movies, they are gambling millions of dollars (often hundreds of millions) - so they look for any edge or advantage that they can get that might guarantee a good box office return.

One thing they try is to latch on to a known product, such as a popular novel ("Gone With the Wind" was huge bestseller as book long before they made it into a movie) or today, a comic book (such as Superman or Spider-Man). They assume there is a built-in audience there, and that's often true.

The same kind of thinking inspires sequels and remakes. Why run a risk on a new, unknown script when you can remake a proven hit? Which is why we've had three "King Kongs", for instance. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

The bottom line is that Hollywood is in it for the money, not the art. While they would, ideally, like to produce good movies that make big bucks, given the choice, they would take a bad movie that earns a lot over a good movie that loses money.

The studios keep a keen eye on what works and what doesn't. The people basically get what they want, as indicated by the box office receipts. So spend your movie dollars wisely. Every time you go to a movie, you are (in effect) voting on what will be made next...

Answer 2

The same reason people keep asking this exact same question several times a day on Yahoo Answers. LOL!

It's the same question that everyone on here's seen a hundred times. Still we answer back the same answer we answered back before. The same question gets asked because the asker thinks people have forgotten about it since it's been over an hour since it was asked the last time. This is also the same 'thinking' we as a whole have about the classics being remade. Sure everyone's seen the original a hundred times. But let's remake it to make sure it's still fresh in people's memories. So they remake them. We watch them. We complain about them. They come out on dvd and even though we've already complained, we'll go buy or rent the dvd. So they'll remake another. And another. And this question will be asked again, here in about an hour, by someone totally different. And we'll be there. Ready to answer ;-)

Answer 3

Let's simply say hardly any 'remake' has ever been as good as or better than its original model.

Why?
I'll give you (6) quick reasons, as a writer being denied the right to create films (instead of all these failed minds supplying failed efforts, our nation's inadequate scenarists). See if my analysis isuseful.
And thanks for the great question.

1. Originality requires individuals with above-average egoistic intelligence, personal experience and the creative ability to imagine and write fine work; plagiarism of someone else's idea doesn't require anything except concrete-bound thinking--and theft.

2. The older moviemakers had a pretty good science of acting and drama I suggest but lacked self-based American philosophy sufficient to their making great movies. But the newer filmmakers rely too much on mechanical special effects, and they hire writers and actors much less skilled than the studio moguls could have hired and did hire--as if they're expecting graphic depictions of scenes to replace artistry and good intentions to replace scientific knowhow.

3.Ticket buyers fall for the 'remake' idea. Forgetting that if there is nothing new to be said on some subject by people lacking in concepts, they have no right to be the ones saying it, hirers try to cheat the public--who seem willing to be cheated and fall for false or discontexted advertising or the new remake.

4.Since the old films were good but not perfect, there's a human tendency to believe one could do better--by throwing more money at the project, even though less brainpower is available this time around.

5.Most of the new filmmakers hired by corporate movie tsars, without the hirers having a scientific clue as to what movies are, are far to young to be in charge of anything. The writers of the average film in the late 1940s and 1950s, who wrote the final version, were over 45; the writers employed now to misperform the same job are in their late 20s. They lack a science of art, life experience, and job experience adapting material from other mediums, trying to write a play, working on dialogue and rewrites, etc., which most men had who were wriing for the movies; they had ithis professional background in their resumes before they ever wrote one final version.

6. Graphic depiction--exploiting the mental and emotional weakness of sick minds--is easy. Give them what they want but shouldn't have--as a drug; and they'll come back, needing more. But the older films' makers did not do that. They suggested sexual activity, violence and location details far more than do those who want to remake for instance "The Avengers" which was bad or "The Fugitive" which was good, but with spectacular train wrecks, a lack of dialogue, expensive blockbuster amounts of colorful outdoor scenes, etc.

Answer 4

I agree with hilary34, the entertainment industry has become lazy. They don't want to think of their own idea, so why not take something that has already been done.

The only way that companies can sell their remakes is by creating an "unrated" version on dvd for all the perverts.

Answer 5

There are many correct answers to this. Believe it or not, some are actually in it for the money and feel that the classic name will be automatic draw and guaranteed success, others want the challenge doing something great even better, others just want their name attached to a classic (remake or otherwise), .....

Answer 6

Definitely, but they make money. Audiences seem incapable of recognizing patterns, and flock over and over again to the worst rapings of classic films.

They are also cheaper than other types of movie, since the plot is already written.

Answer 7

Technology is a lot more advanced so they think they can make it better looking. If that movie has a fan base already then they are also thinking about how much money they can make off of them and the young people.

Answer 8

Because they don't have the imgaination/creativity to come up with their own ideas. They'd rather regurgitate something that worked before and try to make a buck any way they can.
Sacrilege if you ask me.

Answer 9

I agree! You can't improve on perfection. It really doesn't work when they have a person of a different race play these parts,(The Wild, Wild West & The Honeymooners), to name a few.

Answer 10

because Hollywood no longer has an ounce of originality