Has Hollywood become incapable of an original idea?
The industry’s modus operandi for over a decade is always reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels and spin-offs because the turnover rate is so high in Hollywood studios that producers are afraid to roll the dice on originality.
And fans of this film classic are understandably furious that Hollywood wants to remake it.
The majority of Hollywood is all about producing projects with a built-in fan base in order to mitigate risk. It could be a novel, a non-fiction book, comic book, graphic novel, toys, board games (yes, even toys and games) or old movies.
This is why we’ve literally had three different Spider-Mans forced fed down our throats in this century and it hasn’t even been 20 years yet.
But there are films that are untouchable; the “non-remakable” classics like “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “2001 a Space Odyssey,” “Dr. Strangelove or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” and “Gone With the Wind.” Those movies will probably never be touched.
There are even films more recent than the others too. “Pulp Fiction” seems like an untouchable film.
What about “Back to the Future”?
Could you really see the studio trying to reboot that franchise? There was an April Fool’s joke that took hold several years ago where it was announced that Justin Bieber would take over Michael J. Fox’s coveted role as Marty McFly in the reboot and everybody lost their collective minds.
But what about the classic film “The Princess Bride”? It’s undeniably one of the most quotable and perfect films ever made.
And when news broke that the studio wanted to remake it, people were understandably livid.
It began over a Variety article about producer Norman Lear known for “All in the Family” and other television comedy classics, wanting to remake it.
The article said Lear claimed that a lot of “very famous people” wanted to get in on the ground floor of the project except they wouldn’t provide specific names.
Cary Elwes who plays Westley in the film tweeted, “There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one.”
There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one. https://t.co/5N8Q3P2e5G
— Cary Elwes (@Cary_Elwes) September 18, 2019
A huge fan of the movie, Seth Rogen, was asked if he was one of those “very famous people” and he tweeted, “I would never dare.”
I would never dare.
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) September 17, 2019
Jamie Lee Curtis was especially against the idea of remaking “The Princess Bride” too.
Oh really? Well, I married the six fingered man, obviously why we have stayed together for 35 years and there is only ONE The Princess Bride and it’s William Goldman and @robreiner’s. “Life is pain highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something!” https://t.co/hv33UIZKN3
— Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) September 17, 2019
Curtis is referring to her husband, Christopher Guest, who played the villain who killed Inigo Montoya’s (Mandy Patinkin) family. There are many other celebrities and fans who think it would be a gross mistake to recast the film.
Speaking of which, it’s one of the most perfectly cast films maybe of all time.
Cary Elwes dry suave tone is perfection.
It’s “inconceivable” to think anybody else but Wallace Shawn could play Vizzini.
Mandy Patinkin’s, Inigo Montoya, is wonderful. The way you empathize with that character is special to Patinkin’s performance.
And how in the world do you replace Andre the Giant? That is truly “inconceivable.”