Remaking an old film has been a practice of Hollywood for decades, and a new trend emerged as of recent. Gender swapping might have turned out to be a brilliant idea. An all-female cast of "Ghostbusters" may not have delivered the expected result, but it didn't deter producers from attempting another gender-swapping project. A remake of "Splash" was in the work. An actor would play the mermaid. (Daryl Hannah donned the fish tail costume.) It would be pointless to criticize it, even boycott its theatrical release. (It will be shown in HBO sooner or later.) How about thinking about the other films?
Women doing a full monty would be greeted with a backlash. Captain Jill Sparrow and a reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean franchise would be a bad idea. (It cost Renny Harlin and Geena Davis their marriage.) And not a female counterpart of James Bond. There are better choices. There was a precedent. (For the “Terminatorâ€, producers thought of focusing on a female cyborg tracking down Sarah and her young son. It clicked with viewers.) Here are five films for your consideration:
Cast Away. If Tom Hanks could survive the ordeals on a desert island, then anyone would do the same. Especially a woman. Producers would be careful, as they don't want to be called sexists. And they won't think of a volleyball named Wilson. It would rather be a doll made from coconut leaves.
Charlie's Angels. This would make the original members laughed out loud. And then the startling realization. Good-looking men could be the poster boys for women who could only dream of dating a dashing actor. And Sharon Stone could be perfect for the role of Bosley.
The Magnificent Seven. It could be set in the distant future, where a motley group of (female) astronauts would protect a human colony from the villains of an intergalactic war. It could be Martians who were bent on propagating their species. It would be aliens from beyond the Solar System, who rather preferred the universe in a constant chase of chaos. It seemed like a preposterous premise but think of Star Lord. And then multiply it by seven.
My Fair Lady. Bernard Shaw wouldn't mind an updated tale of a middle-aged lady teaching a young ruffian about good manners and fine clothing. He might be tempted to live the life of shirt chaser until he pondered a May-December affair. Queen Victoria won't like it, but this would be a make-believe.
Starsky and Hutch. It won't be hard to find a streetwise actress and her more intellectual partner to patrol the Bay Area. A remake might mean an update of the hit TV series, which would mean changing the locations to Florida. Moviegoers shouldn't expect them to appear in a bikini, as they wanted to be treated like any detectives. Don't be surprised if one of them would sing a song in the middle of nowhere. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" could be a bad idea.
Do you have other films in mind? Share it with us.
