If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: ‘Remake Culture’ and the Death of Creativity in Hollywood

After the success of The Vampire Diaries and True Blood, AMC’s Interview with the Vampire is televison’s newest contribution to the supernatural scene. But the story isn’t, in itself, new. Adapted once already for screen – with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as troubled plantation owner and anti-hero vampire respectively – this show takes subtext and makes it text; reimagining Anne Rice’s 1976 novel against a backdrop of 1910’s New Orleans debauchery whilst exploring sexuality in a way that the film was too afraid to touch.

This is only the most recent remake amongst a slew of others (but perhaps serves as one of the more rare success stories). It seems that, specifically in the past ten years, cinema and television have become so oversaturated with reboots, biopics and sequels that you’d be hard pressed to find anything that’s not an adaptation or expansion of pre-existing material. But why is Hollywood so obsessed with churning out this type of content? And why, more recently, does it invoke annoyance rather than enjoyment? Media is entirely subjective, and what appeals to one viewer may outrage another. But there seems to be an increasing (justified) frustration with big corporations such as Netflix and Disney, which prioritise profitability over creativity, leaving the state of the movie landscape as something to be desired. 

Disney have released ten live-action remakes in as many years (with more to follow) – these just being the direct remakes of cartoons ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Pinocchio, and not counting all their spin-off or prequel concepts such as Maleficent and Cruella. What the latter movies seem to have that the former lack is their unique perspective – we get to see the villain’s origin story rather than the same narrative rehashed, just with people instead of animations. But there’s no doubt that this, too, could get very old very quickly. 

Despite what the sudden influx of remakes seems to suggest, the concept of retelling a pre-existing story is not a new one. One of the most popular movies of all time, Brian De Palma’s Scarface (1983), is a reimagining of the 1932 movie of the same name. A Star is Born (2018) has not one, not two, but three predecessors, yet it was nominated for eight Oscars and won one. So, the problem is perhaps not just remakes as a concept – but remakes for remakes’ sake.

What these aforementioned movies arguably brought to the table is a fresh vision: Al Pacino as the Cuban Tony in flashy 1980’s Miami, rather than the Italian immigrant making his way in post-war Chicago. With the rapid advancements in technology during the 20^th century, movies that were originally black and white could be reimagined in vibrant new colour, and other elements such as sound and acting could be refined as the decades progressed. Lady Gaga as Ally was an unexpected move – whilst she briefly starred in American Horror Story, this was her first major movie role – but one that paid off. The time between film releases could also be a factor – over 40 years had passed since the previous A Star is Born remake, and though there were undoubtedly critics of the newer Scarface when it opened, the issues were more to do with the violence and Cuban stereotypes than comparisons to the previous version.

One advantage of remaking content is the ability to reshape it in the context of a newer, more open-minded society, allowing for more explorative and diverse storylines. The choice of casting Jacob Anderson (most recognisable for his role as Grey Worm in Game of Thrones) as a closeted Black brothel owner in Interview, was a clever one, as it allows the writers to explore issues of history, race and sexuality which adds an interest and depth that the 1994 film was never able to achieve. 

Remaking old films is an easy way for film companies such as Disney to reap big profits without taking big risks: they capitalise off of nostalgia and pre-existing fan-bases without needing to start from scratch or invest in promotion for an entirely new story. They are, in a word, easy: for the corporations, and for us. In seeing a movie remade we are not challenged in any way: we know the plot, we know the characters, all that is asked of us is to sit down and detach for 90 minutes or so. But this, here, is where the danger lies. Not all media has to have a profound impact on our lives – but we should at least enter the cinema with the hopes that it might. And if all that’s being screened is remakes, because Hollywood cares more about income than innovation, we won’t even have the chance. 

Image Credit: The Guardian