15 remakes that beat the original

These works prove that even decades later, you can still make a great movie by reimagining the plot without spoiling it (and sometimes even improving it). We are talking about 15 remakes that managed to surpass the originals in terms of views, box office, awards, ratings from critics and viewers!

“Brother, take action!” (2023)

French comedy “Brother, take action!” (currently released in Russian cinemas) is not a remake in the classic sense, but a story clearly inspired by Emil Ardolino’s 1992 comedy starring Whoopi Goldberg. But the gist of the story remains the same, and tells of the nuns challenging themselves – in the version with Whoopi Goldberg, the form of this “challenge” was music and a church choir, while in the modern version it was a bicycle race.

“Scarface” (1983)

Howard Hawk’s original 1932 film of the same name is unlikely to be remembered by anyone today, although it was certainly good for its time. To put it mildly, the remake with Al Pacino in the role of an ambitious Cuban gangster is not inferior to it – the film is still considered a cult film, and after the name of Tony Montana became a household name.

“The Departed” (2006)

Martin Scorsese’s dramatic thriller is a remake of the Hong Kong film “Double Castling” (2002), which surpassed it in almost every respect: direction, cast, world box office and awards. The original, about top graduates of the police academy who find themselves on opposite sides of the barricade, was overlooked, but “The Departed” won a Golden Globe and four Oscars!

“It” (2017)

The horror film, based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name about a clown who terrorizes children, was first produced in 1990, but then the three-hour movie hardly distinguished itself for anything other than its lead actor, Tim Curry. a ton of make-up on her face. The remake was released in 2017, earned more than $700 million at the box office, won the love of the public, and was nominated for Saturn and MTV awards, so it was decided to make a sequel; He was born two years later.

“12 Angry Men” (1956)

Considered a courtroom drama classic and one of the best films of all time, the movie “Guilty or Not” is based on a teleplay that aired just two years earlier. However, it did not achieve the same resounding success.

“Some Like It Hot” (1959)

The story of musicians who, in search of income, dress up as girls and go to work in a women’s orchestra was shot first in France (1935), then in Germany (1951), but both films were unsuccessful – because they were criticized. extreme meaninglessness. Billy Wilder, one of the most talented directors of his time, managed to make a difference by choosing Marilyn Monroe for the lead role and making a movie for all time.

“Ocean’s Eleven” (2001)

Yes, this isn’t the first movie about charming robbers planning a legendary crime. Steven Soderbergh’s film is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name, which is much inferior to its successor in terms of entertainment. Even if it stars Frank Sinatra.

“The Incredible Life of Walter Mitty” (2013)

The story of an office worker who dreams of fantastic adventures was first filmed in 1947, and although it may not have been bad for that time, there was a 2013 version with Ben Stiller in the director’s chair and a slightly revised plot in the lead role. one of the most high-profile premieres of that period. We recommend watching both versions just for fun; The former will appeal more to science fiction fans, while the latter will appeal more to realists.

“The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999)

If in 1960 Rene Clement made a rather mediocre story about an indifferent killer with a beautiful face (the main character was played by Alain Delon), in 1999 Anthony Minghella expanded this plot, complicated it and turned it into a provocative tragedy about a man. the one who lost himself. The cast did not disappoint: Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon knew their job and did it almost flawlessly.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The main character was played by Mel Gibson in the original 1979 film, and 36 years later he was replaced by Tom Hardy in the sci-fi action film. The director’s chair still remained with George Miller, and the attempt to remake the story was crowned with success: the film is now considered a classic of the genre, and the first film of the trilogy received six Oscars and grossed over 374 million at the box office. Worldwide.

“Dune” (2000)

I would love to include Denis Villeneuve’s film adaptation here, but we are still waiting for its premiere, the release of the film has been postponed since the end of 2020 due to the pandemic.

The film is based on Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name about the near future, and this is not the first attempt to transfer the plot of the book to the big screen: in 1984, David Lynch worked on the film, but it was unsuccessful. At the box office and fans of the work scolded the director for the adaptation being too liberal, but John Harrison’s 2000 version of Dune was released as a TV series and was as close to the text as possible, which won him the love of fans.

“Scent of a Woman” (1992)

Scent of a Woman director Martin Brest was inspired by the much less popular 1974 Italian film inspired by the novel Darkness and Honey. True, there are still a few significant differences between the films: for example, in the original the young hero is a soldier, and in the film remake he is an ordinary student from a poor family. Other than that, the films are similar to each other: At the center of the plot is a retired intelligence colonel who is blind in both eyes, and his journey with his guide changes the lives of both of them forever.

“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (1988)

The comedy, about a team of professional and amateur con artists who find themselves deceived, was first released in 1964 as a film directed by Ralph Levy and starring David Niven and Marlon Brando. Later the film was called “Bedtime Story”, and 24 years later the plot was repeated in every detail by Frank Oz – starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine. By the way, this is not the only remake – in 2019, the same story was also adapted for female characters Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson.

“Vanilla Sky” (2001)

The original film, “Open Your Eyes” (1997), was directed by Alejandro Amenábar, who would later work on “The Others” and “The Sea Within”, but Cameron Crowe’s version still came out stronger; It wasn’t that confusing. , drawn out and even ridiculous in some places. By the way, in both films about a man who suddenly loses everything, one of the main roles is played by Penelope Cruz.

“Hachiko: The Most Faithful Friend” (2008)

The early 20th-century true story of a dog who came to the station to wait for his deceased owner for 10 years was reflected in the 1987 Japanese film adaptation “The Story of Hachiko” and later in the Hollywood remake with Richard Gere. where the location was moved to America. The rest of the script is based on the original but made more subtle and tragic.