Some Spider-Based Hero Who is Getting a 3rd Movie Incarnation
I’m pretty sure the title has some people twitching. Funny thing is that I’m writing this from two perspectives. One is that I’m sick of reboots and remakes. Even sequels are wearing on me to the point where I don’t want to pay money beyond Redbox. Yet, I’m also redesigning Lloyd and Cassidy for their sequel, which makes me feel like a hypocrite. Lloyd won’t change beyond one thing stemming from a previous action. For the handful of people who read and enjoyed Crossing Bedlam, you would know that Cassidy reached a point where she needed to change some things. Maybe what I’m doing is minor compared to what you see out there. Anyway, I’m going to open the floor to this sticky conversation topic. (Keep in mind that this is more movies and TV shows than books.)
- What do you think of reboots and remakes?
- What was the last original story you saw or read?
- Do you think people really want original stories?
I’m going to give my opinion on the third question: Yes. I think people want original stories. Yet, I also think we’ve become such a hyper-critical species that we’re most likely to hate these things. People go out of their way to point out mistakes, connect stuff to earlier works even remotely, and simply prove that something sucks. So the established things will always win because they’ve already gone through the wringer or existed before the Internet wringer appeared. The chance of something new reaching that spot is very rare and most studios (and many artists) won’t want to take the risk. The more new stuff fails, the less of it we’ll see. Look at how nearly all of the big movies this year are sequels, reboots, and adaptations. Books are a little safer, but we authors have our trends that we pounce on. Fantasy is currently GoT, zombies are everywhere, erotica is everywhere, and the YA dystopia craze is starting to fade. Maybe this is simply how it works. Entertainment hits in cycles and we’re in the ‘same stuff, different color palette’ phase of things. People will eventually get sick of it and then either the mediums die out or they find fresh meat.
Legends of Windemere 
1. What do you think of reboots and remakes?
I like some and dislike others. Though I saw the Spider-Man reboot with Andrew Garfield, I didn’t see the point to the reboot beyond the imminent loss of the rights to the franchise (hence the need to make another movie). And we have yet another reboot of Batman and Superman. I don’t mind that, because they are iconic characters with a lot of fans. Hopefully the Green Lantern reboot will be slow in coming. I preferred the Green Lantern animated series and movies. I want to forget the live action one. But I’ll be glad to see Justice League, and especially Wonder Woman get more screen time.
I would love to see The Neverending Story remade! I’ve been waiting for that for years!
2. What was the last original story you saw or read?
Only in the middle grade books I read. Even Downton Abbey is sort of a reboot of the Upstairs, Downstairs format.
3. Do you think people really want original stories?
I agree that many people want original stories. But in practice, many don’t support the attempts. At least with the tried and true characters, the audience knows what they’re getting. In all fairness, sometimes people are shown original stories, because these stories are turned down by studios and publishers.
I watch a lot of foreign films, because many are so fresh, so well made. Yet they don’t have the huge budgets of American made films.
LikeLike
1. Comic reboots are odd because it seems to stem from losing the actor and director. The original Batman stuff tried to keep going with new ones, but that seemed to cause issues. Then again, James Bond has been successful doing that and even the ‘reboot’ didn’t really feel like a reboot. By the way, Green Lantern is fairly easy to reboot if you go with a different one. I hope for John Stewart next time.
2. Reminds me that Zootopia was fairly original. Funny thing is that kids get a lot of fresh stuff.
3. Good points. It does seem like studios and publishers will reject an untested idea and people might not give them a chance either. I asked a friend if he could think of any big movies this year that aren’t remakes, reboots, sequels, or adaptations. We got Zootopia and that was it. So I wonder if this is self-feeding issue. People want something original, but studios won’t make it because people are more likely to see the familiar stuff. On the plus side, I might be spending less time and money at movie theaters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw Zootopia. That’s about all I can think of too on the original side. Yet the Sundance Film Festival and other festivals feature a bunch of original looking films that fail to be widely distributed. 😦 So I have definitely spent less time at the movie theater! So grateful for Netflix and Redbox! That’s how I discovered foreign animated films!
In YA, so many dystopia books were published, because the audience bought them, thus giving publishers the impetus to keep acquiring more of them. Then the trend went to terminally ill girl/guy falls in love books.
LikeLike
That’s definitely on the studio’s head. A lot of the originals seem to be artsy or dramas too, so it isn’t a big ‘blockbuster’. I remember working at a Hollywood Video store and we got those with very little fanfare. Though they still rented out pretty often for the first few months. It really does suck when a trend is run into the ground. Anyway who genuinely enjoys writing that genre will be left in the cold.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My book, A Spark Ignites, is actually a reboot of a webcomic I had written and drawn some ten years ago. Not that anyone would know that, seeing as how I had under 150 readers at my best at the time. It was fun to recycle aspects the characters, and many of them did change drastically (and while the characters may have shown up in the webcomic, the story is almost entirely different). Luckily barely anyone knows enough about the original to complain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That does bring up an interesting scenario. If the original creator does the reboot then does that make it more acceptable? You would figure that the original creator would be more respectful and be able to justify more of the changes than someone who simply stepped in later.
LikeLike
I think that’s why people are more accepting of TMNT. All the versions (save for the 80 ‘ tv show) had the creators involved on some level.
LikeLike
Didn’t know the creators weren’t involved in the 80’s TV show, which is odd. A lot of people got into them from that source. Are the creators involved in the current movies that really need to look up the word ‘ninja’?
LikeLike
I don’t think the current movies (but they were involved in the old ones, but they have a hand in the current and previous TV shows as well as the current comics.
LikeLike
Explains the tone of each one. The shows and comics always have a similar feel. Much like the old movies. The new ones just seem odd to me.
LikeLike
I think Hollywood is very different than books. Many of those decisions are driven by accountants and not talent spotters. They look in the vault, and realize they can recycle something cheaply… It doesn’t have to make a very big splash to be profitable. This is how we get TV shows that are long since dead becoming movies. It’s how we get remakes of old movies that are no longer current. (True Grit.) I love original content, and even get out of sorts with many reblogs. Some of them are new to me, and I read them. Some sites seem to do nothing more than gather content to reblog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny that you mention old series becoming movies. Some ‘old’ movies are becoming TV series too. They have ‘Rush Hour’, which I can’t really wrap my head around. Not the story, but why it exists so long after the movies were put out.
Hollywood definitely runs different than books, but I think the publishing industry is suffering from a similar problem. A lot of bandwagon publishing and writing goes on. I remember being told by a bunch of indie authors that I had to write erotica, vampires, romance, werewolves, YA dystopia, or whatever the flavor of the moment was. Many think this is the only way to get a foot in the door and they aren’t entirely wrong there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Accountants know people liked MCHale’s Navy. They anticipate people revisiting to a certain degree. It lets them make predictions and control what they spend. It doesn’t have to make a big splash, and advance promo is already taken care of to a degree by the TV show.
LikeLike
I remember that movie, but only that Tim Curry was in it. The trick is to work nostalgia, but a new trend is to depend on it while changing nearly everything from the original. It’s backfiring a bunch.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting questions, as always. As to your questions, one shouldn’t confuse a candy with its wrapping. “People want original stories” – arguably, there are only so many stories, even there’s an infinite way of telling them. A typical romance story (“girl has to choose between bad boy and good boy”) can be told in a fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, Greek island, historical fiction, women’s fiction etc way. It’s still the same story, even if the context changes.
I’d argue that people want the same old story (eg. unsuspecting hero goes through rough patch that leads to his/her transformation, then saves the world/girl/boy etc) told in a fresh way. This story has been told from Babylonian times (Gilgamesh) todate (Star Wars).
In the case of Cassidy, you’re not rebooting her. You’re allowing the character to grow, and this is not only good, but also necessary.
LikeLike
I think when people want an original story, they’re talking more about old franchises being remade or rebooted. There are those who get annoyed if a story has any similarity to something else, which gets ridiculous. Yet, I do see the statement come more when somebody is complaining about Spider-Man #3 or Batman #6.
An interesting example of both seems to be The Force Awakens. Many loved it and call it fresh even though it shares a lot with A New Hope. Then there are those who use those similarities to hate the movie. Guess one’s personal limits are a factor and some people have very low limits for these things.
Cassidy is definitely more of a redesign than a reboot. Everything that happened to her before remains the same. So I do think I’m safe on that one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Personally I don’t enjoy reboots very much, especially if the original was a classic. The new one never lives up to the old one. Nope, I didn’t like the Star Trek reboot or the Star Wars reboot. (TFA is a reboot in my opinion, and yeah, the similarities to ANH left me bored and uninspired.) The last Spider-man reboot left me yawning; I prefer the Tobey Maguire/Kirsten Dunst ones. The Fantastic Four reboot was god awful to me. TMNT has lost all similarity to the cool, dark yet fun comics I read as an 80s teenager. Honestly, I could go on, because not many great reboots come to mind.
The last original story I saw or read? That is a tough one, because (like already Nicholas mentioned) most stories have been told before — even if I haven’t personally saw or read them. As for movies, I remember thinking The Matrix was damn original at the time it was released. Memento was a strange story line, but nevertheless effective. Inception was a cool idea I’d never seen done before. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button had a different story line. As for books, I can’t say anything I’ve read in the last few years has been completely original. The authors have woven a fresh story out of old tropes, but it was still things I had experienced before.
I think some people want fresh, original stories and others do not. I myself have times where all I want is an old, familiar, and comfortable story, which doesn’t require me to think too much. Other times I want to be amazed, challenged, and awed by a story which I’ve never dreamed possible.
LikeLike
I have to agree with most of what you said with the reboots. Only one I can’t is Force Awakens, but only because I liked it. Just from my own perception, I thought some similarities made sense since Kylo Ren was a Vader fanboy/imitator. Though that could be a mental defense mechanism. 🙂
Matrix is a great original idea as are the others you mentioned. Reminds me that John Wick was pretty original since it didn’t have any source material. Grew up with those kinds of movies, so it was nice to see a new one added to the pantheon.
I get in those moods too. Think my worry is that we’re reaching a time where there’s nothing new and challenging because nobody wants to take the risk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What do you think of reboots and remakes? I think the success or appeal of a remake or reboot is very unlikely. I do not like remakes and reboots (you know with added scenes) are not my cup of tea
What was the last original story you saw or read? The Playground by C.S Boyack
Do you think people really want original stories? I think they would like original stories as long as the stories fit the comfort zone. (Contain the elements of a familiar genre)
LikeLike
1. Rare that a new version tops the original. Not sure what you mean by added scenes though. Extended editions on DVD?
2. He is definitely a great source of originality. 🙂
3. Interesting point. Though sometimes those familiar elements in a genre turn out to be the same characters and storylines. 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
By reboot I thought you were talking about a re-release. They used to put cut scenes back in for re-release.
LikeLike
Oh! I haven’t seen those beyond the special DVD sets. By reboot, I meant someone taking an old movie and redoing it. New cast, new script, new everything. Best example is the Spider-Man franchise. It was rebooted when Tobey Maguire left and rebooted again when SONY and Disney made a deal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I call those a remake. Okay I get it. Reboots are okay as long as the quality stays.
LikeLike
If only the quality stayed every time. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The rub (as it were)
LikeLike
GAH! I’d love to be able to answer this simply in the comments, but I have to much to say on it. Also, I would drag comics into this (*coughDCcough*), so yeah… keep an eye out for that! 😀
LikeLike
I get the feeling we’re going to have to agree to disagree on something.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To give a short answer to your three q’s, I’ve started to see remakes of cartoons that I used to watch when I was growing up (powerpuff girls, tom and jerry, teen titans for example), and I don’t know if I like them or not. I sat and watched them (all bar the new Powerpuff Girls, haven’t got to that yet, but I’ve heard it’s the same team as the original production crew, just with different voice actors), but just didn’t get that same vibe of feelgood energy that I did when I watched the originals. Maybe it’s because I’m not a kid anymore? Off the top of my head, I don’t think I’ve encountered any remakes of anything live-action that I used to/still watch.
(This was my short answer haha)
LikeLike
I heard about Powerpuff Girls and Teen Titans Go made my son cry. I am looking forward to resurrection of Samurai Jack though. Same team like with PPG, which is a good sign. There’s a higher chance of success, but you can’t really beat the originals.
Being older, I’ve run into a few of those. Reboots tend to be more common. Then again, I grew up with the original TMNT, Ghostbusters, 21 Jump Street, and the early comic book cartoons. Seems to be a think about grabbing stuff from the 80’s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, everything I can think off that has been/is being rebooted is a cartoon. I forgot about Samurai Jack actually–can’t wait for that–it scared me when I was younger, so make sure to watch out for that with the little fella! How did PPG and TTG make him cry? TTG, while not as good as the original Teen Titans cartoon, is hilarious (and SO silly/stupid).
LikeLike
The kid still likes watching Godzilla and Jurassic Park, so we’ll see what happens with Samurai Jack. He hasn’t watched any PPG. I’m not sure what upset him about TTG. He said the characters looked scary, so it could have simply been that he didn’t like the animation.
LikeLike
Wow brave kid if he can watch Jurassic Park! My 7yr old nephew was terrified when we brought him to Jurrasic World.
LikeLike
He walked in when I was watching it and didn’t bat an eye when the T-Rex chased the jeep. Yet, he’s still terrified of the bad guy in ‘Tangled’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kids are weird… 😂😂😂
LikeLike
Yeah. Can’t say adults are any different though. 🙂
LikeLike
In a blog post of my own that is ha
LikeLike
Was just skimming through other comments here and saw Spider-Man reboot! How did I not think of that?!? Loved those movies, hated the Andrew Garfield remakes! Hoping this Holland fella does him justice!
LikeLike
I’m concerned about Spidey. Third time isn’t always the charm. Keep in mind that he wasn’t originally in Civil War and they added him late in production. So there’s a chance he isn’t as big a factor as people think.
LikeLike
I guess that reboots have their place, when characters or stories have become stale or been forgotten. For example, the original Tarzan books were so racist and sexist that they really do need a make-over in order for modern audiences to accept the work.
At the same time, Hollywood seems to use reboots more for a quick profit. They can be assured of an audience, while re-licensing everything under the sun. Many people feel this is simply cynical and lazy storytelling, hence the great resentment that certain reboots attract.
LikeLike
I think it is getting rather lazy though. Making a quick and easy profit is understandable, but that feels like all the big studios are doing. Updating stuff does make sense though. Just wish we got more new stuff, I guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Despite the reputation that anything goes in Hollywood, the studios really are scared of taking risks.
LikeLike
I’d say it’s their kryptonite, but even Superman manages to stand up to that. Really amazing that risks are either avoided or made up.
LikeLiked by 1 person