Despite being a bit of a flop in North America, the moderate worldwide success of this year’s “RoboCop” remake has apparently proven to Hollywood that redos of ‘80s movies are profitable. They may not be breaking the bank, but they’re definitely putting more cash into these studios’ wallets. So, why not make more of them, right?
First up, screenwriter/novelist Seth Grahame-Smith (“Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) has finally found a project to make his directorial debut with. He’s teaming up with Disney to remake the 1983 film “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” which is based on the Ray Bradbury novel of the same name. The novel tells the story of an evil proprietor of a traveling carnival who takes advantage of small town residents by taking possession of their souls in exchange for the dreams each person has. Grahame-Smith wants to take the novel and make it relevant for a whole new generation.
The original film was far from being a hit at the box office back in 1983, but Disney apparently thinks the second time will be a charm. While he waits for a new script to be finished, Seth Grahame-Smith is also working on a “Beetlejuice” sequel with Tim Burton. Nothing is sacred, apparently.
Meanwhile, the writer-director team of David Posamentier and Geoff Moore (“Better Living Through Chemistry”) will join forces once again to pen the remake of “Explorers.” You may remember the original 1985 film which was directed by Joe Dante, which was also a box office flop back in the day, but has since gone on to have a cult following. Dante’s “Explorers” starred a very young River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke and it told the story of an alien-obsessed kid who one day dreams of a circuit board and his friend who helps realize his dream of building a spaceship.
While the original “Explorers” film has received a warm reception from fans over the years, it was not the film that director Joe Dante originally set out to make. With that in mind, perhaps “Explorers,” along with “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” can actually be improved with a remake. The question is, will audiences show up to see these films? They didn’t the first time around… [Deadline/THR]