Most Hollywood remakes completely miss the mark of the original. They remind audiences of Hollywood’s tendency to completely wring out every penny they can from anything that works. But once in a blue moon comes the exception to that rule. Those select few breathe new life into timeless classics and reintroduce those stories to a brand new audience. To celebrate the release of Papillon, a heart wrenching tale of love, loyalty, and redemption in cinemas 21st December 2018 courtesy of Signature Entertainment, below is the list of the top movie remakes of all time:
Papillon
Based on the autobiography of Henri Charrière, from screener writer Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners) and executive producer Danny Dimbort (The Wolf of Wall Street), comes Danish Director Michael Noer’s international feature debut Papillon, an eponymous modern take of one of the greatest escape films of all time. The original Papillon stars Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen as they attempt to break free from a French Penal colony in South America. The 2018 remake finds Charlie Hunnam (Son’s of Anarchy; Pacific Rim) and Emmy Award Winning - and strong contender this year’s Best Actor Oscar - Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody; Mr. Robot) in the exact same situation after they too are wrongfully convicted of murder and forgery – what are the odds?! These challenging characters gave Malek and Hunnam the chance to deliver two unforgettable performances that will surely blow audiences away when it hits cinemas this Friday.
A Star is Born
Who could forget the chemistry between Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristopherson in the 1976 version of A Star is Born? Having been remade 4 times, we wouldn’t blame you if you did. The original original dates back to 1954, starring Judy Garland and James Manson - big shoes to fill but who else than Bradley Cooper and idol, legend, and star Lady Gaga to take this on? Critics raved about the film, marking Gaga’s transformation into a fully fledged big screen icon.
The Ring
No one does horror better than Japan, but what would the early 2000s have been without Naomi Watts and her particularly well spoken son. As the turn of the millennia came, VCRs weren’t going down without taking a few poor souls with them. I haven’t answered the phone in years solely because of this movie.
Ghost Busters
Kids these days wouldn’t have known who to call had Kristen Wiig and her band of merry Saturday Night Live all stars not geared up to save New York in the 2016 remake of your dad’s favourite movie. Though the reception of the film was split pretty 50/50, those who loved it loved it and those who didn’t probably also voted remain.
Planet of the Apes
Franklin J. Schaffner smashed it the first time around with the original Planet of the Apes, but in 2011 came The Rise of the Planet of The Apes franchise. Ditching the fully body prosthetics for CGI maybe took away some of the lovable campiness of the original but made audiences actually believe that James Franco was right there in their living room – amazing!
Casino Royale
It’s hard to compare apples and oranges, or in this case apples and grenades. These two films couldn’t be more different that calling it a remake is a bit of a stretch. They’re both brilliant in their own right but the 2006 version cemented Daniel Craig’s position as one of the best Bonds of all time – for slow motion ocean exits alone. You have not lived until you’ve cried blood in a casino so let this film be a guide on how to live your best life.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Daniel Craig is just brilliant, isn’t he? Though the original has the benefit of being an authentic Swedish thriller based in Sweden, in Swedish, the remake holds its own and delivers powerful performances from the two leads Daniel Craig and a heavily pierced Rooney Mara. I’ve also heard the books are good too but why would you do that when you have 2 perfectly good adoptions at your fingertips/
Freaky Friday
A cinematic masterpiece, though I doubt the target audience of this film at the time would have known that it was a remake of a 1977 version starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris, let alone would even know who Barbara Harris is. This mother / daughter body switching classic reminds audiences of a simpler time when the worst thing that Lindsay Lohan could do was wear a studded belt and pick up an electric guitar.
PAPILLON IS IN CINEMAS FROM 21ST DECEMBER 2018
