For every movie that did not need a remake and for all of the TV shows with unneeded reboots, there are a few that have managed to surpass their predecessors... or, at least, justify their existence. In most cases, the secret to their success is to reimagine a beloved pop culture property into something, not just bigger, but darker, just like these flicks and TV series did.
Batman Begins (2005)
The last time we saw The Dark Knight on the big screen was in the very lighthearted and campy Batman & Robin, which killed the live-action Batman movie franchise at the time. Christopher Nolan revived Bruce Wayne’s alter ego on the big screen, and in pop culture in general, in his proper form with an acclaimed and earnestly told origin story called Batman Begins – the first installment of his phenomenal Dark Knight Trilogy.
The Addams Family (1991)
Charles' Addams original comic, The Addams Family, inspired a hit live-action sitcom and a couple of animated series that certainly maintained the same "kooky" tone. However, director Barry Sonnenfeld’s film adaptation and its 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values, would up the ante on its "creepy" appeal, especially with Christina Ricci’s now definitive performance as a morbidly deadpan Wednesday.
Riverdale (2017-2023)
Any adaptation of the Archie comic books, whether animated or produced in live-action, was intended to be a comedy, with the closest thing to a drama being Archie's Weird Mysteries in the late 1990s. That all changed when The CW began airing Riverdale, which depicted the misadventures of Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica as an earnest coming-of-age soap opera.
It And It Chapter Two (2017-2019)
We recognize that the 1990 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's It left an entire generation in fear of clowns. However, from the opening scene of Andy Muschietti’s feature-length version of It (the first of two creepy clown movies), in which Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise bites off little Georgie's arm before pulling him into the sewer, it was clear this was a more unforgiving version of the shape-shifting, fear-feeding demon than Tim Curry's portrayal.
Casino Royale (2006)
Every cinematic iteration of author Ian Fleming's MI6 agent, from Sean Connery's portrayal to Pierce Brosnan's, was a suave gentleman who typically put brains over brawn. That was until Casino Royale introduced a 007, played by Daniel Craig, who is both brainy and brawny and not above taking out his enemies with brutal hand-to-hand combat. Since then, the James Bond movies have never been grittier.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)
For years, the best-known adaptation of the enchanted Archie Comics character, Sabrina Spellman, was the hit ABC sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. That was until Netflix released the Kiernan Shipka-led Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which is more comparative to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in tone.
The Fly (1986)
Director Kurt Neumann's 1958 adaptation of George Langelaan's short story, The Fly, was a creepy little creature feature, including horror movie icon Vincent Price in a memorable supporting role. However, David Cronenberg’s version, starring Jeff Goldblum as a scientist transforming into a half-man, half-insect and Geena Davis as his new lover, is the quintessential cinematic body horror nightmare and a devastating romantic tragedy.
Man Of Steel (2013)
In the film that kicked off the now-defunct DC Extended Universe, director Zack Snyder introduced a less optimistic take on Clark Kent's alter ego, who resorts to murder to defend Metropolis in a controversial moment from Man of Steel. Even Henry Cavill's Superman costume boasts a darker color scheme than any live-action iteration to come before.
Bel-Air (2022)
Hip-hop artist Will Smith proved he had the chops to be a charismatic actor in the early 1990s when he led the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as a young Philadelphia man sent to live with his wealthy California relatives after getting in a fight. Years later, the Oscar winner returned to produce Bel-Air – a Peacock-exclusive series that reimagines the hit sitcom as a grounded coming-of-age drama.
Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
One of the most essential examples of a TV reboot done right is developer Ronald D. Moore's reimagining of Glen A. Larson's classic '70s sci-fi series, Battlestar Galactica. The Emmy-winning, SyFy original version of the story of a crew searching for a long-lost planet Earth in a wartorn future went on to become one of the genre's most celebrated TV shows.
Teen Wolf (2011-2017)
The 1985 comedy, Teen Wolf, in which Michael J. Fox's character inherits his family's lycanthropic curse, is really a metaphor for self-discovery. MTV's hit series adaptation starring Tyler Posey, in addition to making the protagonist a wolf bite victim who uses his abilities to fight evil, throws humor and symbolism almost completely out the window.
Dredd (2012)
The first film featuring Judge Dredd, who was introduced in the U.K. anthology comic, 2000 AD, saw Sylvester Stallone take on the title role and make the fatal flaw of removing his signature helmet. Even taking that controversial detail out of the equation, many believe the Alex Garland-penned Dredd, starring Karl Urban, was a step up for its dead-serious approach to the source material’s vision of a dystopian world ordered by officers who serve as judge, jury, and executioner.
Goosebumps (2023-2024)
Following the '90s anthology horror TV show based on R.L. Stine's creepy but kid-friendly book series, Goosebumps, there were two film adaptations that seemed to go in a more kid-friendly and less creepy direction. However, Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller's seasonal anthology series released on Hulu and Disney+ aimed to up the ante on its thrills by making it a teen drama.
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)
The first alien invasion movie based on Jack Finney’s largely influential novel about humans replaced with emotionless extraterrestrial replicas, released in 1956, ended on a more hopeful note. However, director Philip Kaufman's remake, starring Donald Sutherland, maintains a bleak and hopeless tone throughout, which is why it is still considered the best Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie out of the many Hollywood has released.
Maleficent (2014)
Some of the most amusing live-action Disney animated movie remakes have opted to reexamine the source material from another perspective. For instance, the Academy Award-nominated Maleficent reimagines the story of Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the eponymous antagonist, played by Angelina Jolie.
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)
The original Planet of the Apes movies are fun sci-fi classics set in a future in which primates have become Earth's dominant species. Director Rupert Wyatt's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Matt Reeves' two sequels (Dawn and War), and Wes Ball's Kingdom explore the devastating origins of that dystopian society, due to an ill-fated attempt to cure Alzheimer’s and a global virus causing human evolutionary regression.
Evil Dead (2013)
Sam Raimi’s 1981 classic, The Evil Dead, was already a nearly unparalleled experience in grueling terror but the second and third installments, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, were fun horror-comedy movies boasting a far lighter tone. With his 2013 installment, director Fede Álvarez went back to basics and amplified what made the original possession thriller iconic with some unbelievably brutal sequences and a more earnest plot set-up involving an addict attempting a woodland cabin detox.
Cruella (2021)
There are few villainous characters in Disney history more despicable than Cruella de Vil from 1961's One Hundred and One Dalmatians. However, director Craig Gillespie's live-action Cruella successfully makes the title character (played by Academy Award winner Emma Stone) sympathetic by employing a depressing origin story that sees her forced to turned crime as a child after witnessing her mother's murder.
Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey (2023)
Just a year after author A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard's Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, the beloved children’s book character was reimagined as a killer who goes on a vengeful rampage after grown-up Christopher Robin abandons the Hundred Acre Wood. Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and its 2024 sequel are not regarded as some of the best slasher movies of their time but they certainly got people talking.
Mockingbird Lane (2012)
Many assumed that Rob Zombie'sThe Munsters movie would be a darker reinterpretation of the "monstrous" family until it was revealed to be a thoroughly faithful adaptation. However, there was an attempt at a somewhat more earnest and macabre take on the 1960s sitcom in the form of developer Bryan Fuller's Mockingbird Lane – a failed pilot that aired as a Halloween special on NBC.
Titans (2018-2023)
The Teen Titans series, following the DC Universe's most powerful underage heroes, was already dark enough to satisfy young audiences craving a cartoon with an edge, but it was later rebooted as the absurdly comedic Teen Titans GO! Thus, many fans were thankful for the live-action Titans, which proved to be the most mature adaptation of the original comic yet.
The Banana Splits Movie (2019)
There was a made-for-TV feature-length spin-off from the Saturday morning children's program, The Banana Splits, in which Fleegle, Bingo, Drooper, and Snorky must take on an evil witch. However, Danishka Esterhazy's The Banana Splits Movie is a bloody slasher that makes the rock band of happy animal mascots the villains.
Mulan (2020)
The beloved 1998 film Mulan is – despite following many of the same traditions of a Disney animated feature, such as supernatural twists and musical interludes – still regarded as an important tale of female empowerment. Disney's live-action version, starring Yifei Liu as the title hero, is a more earnest war drama devoid of humor, show tunes, magic, and, most notably, Eddie Murphy's Mushu.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
The Mortal Kombat films from the 1990s could have been considered some of the most faithful video game movies of all time if it were not for the limitations of the PG-13 rating. Thus, director Simon McQuoid's R-rated adaptation is revered as the first to more accurately capture the violence of the one-on-one fighting game series.
Halloween (2007)
No one would have believed that co-writer and director John Carpenter’s 1978 horror movie classic, Halloween, could be remade into anything darker. Yet, Rob Zombie made it happen with a divisive reboot that gives masked murderer Michael Myers (played by Tyler Mane) an origin story involving child abuse, a higher body count, and a far more sadistic MO.
Beauty And The Beast (2017)
Disney's live-action adaptation of the classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, is noted for being a relatively faithful rendition of its beloved animated iteration from 1991. However, Bill Condon's film, which stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, does darken the material, mostly by giving its characters more tragic backstories.
Power Rangers (2017)
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is, technically, an Americanized reboot of Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger and would edit battle scenes from the original Japanese show into its episodes. Director Dean Israelite's Power Rangers movie attempted to appeal to modern audiences seeking grimmer storytelling by raising the stakes and giving the young warriors more grounded backstories.
The Phantom Of The Opera (1989)
Freddy Krueger from the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies was not the only iconic horror movie villain whom Robert Englund portrayed. He also took on the esteemed mantle of the title role from Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, The Phantom of the Opera, in a much more violent and viscerally gory interpretation.
Hellboy (2019)
Director Rob Marshall’s adaptation of Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic book, Hellboy, was a critical and commercial failure that also deeply pales in comparison to Guillermo del Toro’s movies. However, it does boast a charming performance by David Harbour as the titular kindhearted demon and earns its R rating with some gloriously blood-soaked action sequences.
Fantastic Four (2015)
The first attempt to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen (or, the first one to get released, that is) from Tim Story was high in camp and struggled to impress critics as a result. For his reboot, director Josh Trank attempted to reimagine the origins of Marvel’s first superhero family as a body horror flick and still failed to make a decent impression on critics and audiences alike.
The Mean One (2022)
Audrey Geisel banned live-action Dr. Seuss movies because, to her, 2003's The Cat and the Hat was no fun, but just imagine how the good doctor's widow would have reacted to The Mean One. Terrifier star David Howard Thornton, an actor who knows how to thrill, stars in this cheesy slasher as a Grinch naughty enough to kill.
Snow White And The Huntsman (2012)
Instead of seven dwarfs, Kristen Stewart’s version of a famous fairytale hero teams up with a capable hunter (Chris Hemsworth) to take down an evil queen (Charlize Theron) in the action-packed Snow White and the Huntsman.
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