Right now, we’re in a peculiar state of Hollywood film. The major studios seem to be either in a rut or scared of taking a risk. We’ve seen countless remakes, reboots, and sequels that not a single person asked for come to the big screen as major tent pole releases. Seldom do these go well, but there is one film set to conclude its story this year that offers a glimmer of hope to the practice.
Dune, from Denis Villeneuve, proves that some older films and stories are worth giving a new lick of paint and a new method of delivering the story to the big screen. This is, of course, when you contrast 2021’s Dune – and, presumably, 2024’s Part Two – to David Lynch’s 1984 film. So, maybe it is worth digging back through the archives to either find gems that haven’t been touched in decades or films that would benefit from a revamp now.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Modern cinema can do some incredible things with the supernatural and monsters on-screen, and one that’s been mostly left by the wayside in the newer mix of monster movies is Gill-man. A piscine amphibious humanoid, the creature crawls out of the Black Lagoon to kill an expedition team one by one with the exception of Kay, whom Gill-man seemingly has grown affectionate of. The 1954 movie is praised to this day and spawned a couple of sequels (Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us) in the following couple of years.
While it hasn’t returned to the big screen for 68 years – even if Guillermo del Toro was heavily inspired by the 50s flick for his movie, The Shape of Water – you’d likely struggle to find someone who doesn’t know the name of the movie or the iconic look of the Gill-man. Universal has certainly had plenty of offers to remake and reboot The Creature of the Black Lagoon, but the most recent recreation that we’ve had since the 50s hasn’t been a movie, but rather a slot game.
Among the online slots at Betway, you’ll find the official Creature from the Black Lagoon licensed out by Universal. The instantly recognisable Gill-man takes centre stage and unlocking features even replays the film scenes. For the free spins mode, you need to rescue Kay by shooting the creature to unlock spreading wilds. With the 3D animations, it’s the most modern official version of Creature from the Black Lagoon in entertainment. A remake is due, and if anything, the success of Del Toro’s The Shape of Water should prove as much.
Kronos
When it hit cinemas back in 1957, the science-fiction movie Kronos received mixed reviews, for the most part. It was quite a far-out idea, did what it could for the time in the genre, and certainly benefitted from the excellent score from Fly composer Paul Sawtell, but it makes sense that it didn’t quite hold up in its day. Now, funnily enough, the story of Kronos is more relevant than ever, making it perfect for a modern reboot.
Boiled down to its core, it’s a film about the consequences of depleting natural resources as well as those made by humans. There’s even a scene where this alien, Kronos, is absorbing the energy from Earth, getting more and more stocked up, so the United States Air Force decides to fire an atomic bomb at it. Inevitably, it consumes that energy as well. It’s a story that’s been replayed by one of the superhero flicks, but deserves a strong dedicated rendition.
Enter the Dragon
While he only lived to be 32 years old, Bruce Lee’s impact on cinema was profound and he remains a pop-culture icon. The martial artist paved the way for mixed martial arts and kicked off the kung-fu craze of the 1970s, giving a foot-up to the likes of Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Even as recently as February 2023, Lee’s philosophy is still being cited, in this case as a source of inspiration for Janelle Monáe’s hit single Float.
Enter the Dragon was the final film that Lee completed, and in the years since, several world-class filmmakers have queued up to attempt a remake or adaptation. Now, just over 50 years since its release, there may even be the perfect star to step into Lee’s role. Lead in the excellent TV series Warrior from Jonathan Tropper – who also made Banshee – Andrew Koji impressed greatly with his acting chops and martial arts prowess. When you see the Men’s Health interview and video showing his training and how he discusses Bruce Lee, it’s clear Koji’s perfect for the part.
Were any of these films to get a modern remake, one thing remains the key necessity. Each remake has to be very well written with a comprehensible story and character work – elements that so many new Hollywood remake attempts miss. They don’t need a twist for modern sensibilities, just updating to suit the new standard of film to entertain new audiences.