At what point is it too soon to reboot a popular film/ film franchise? I remember when they were preparing to make ‘The Amazing Spider-Man‘ how everyone was complaining that it had only been 5 years since the last Sam Raimi ‘Spider-Man’ flick, and that it was way too soon for a reboot. Same goes for ‘Batman Begins,’ which people thought came out way too close to the last film, ‘Batman and Robin.’ But at least those were franchise movies, rich in stories and fans from the comic-book world, with thousands of new concepts and ideas they could go with. The reboots occurred because the last films in the respective franchises were critically panned, and the studio wanted to return the franchises to their former glory.
And now we have Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi over at AMBI Pictures announcing they are going to finance and produce a remake of Christopher Nolan’s brilliant ‘Memento,’ which came out in 2000 to critical acclaim. To be frank, there is ABSOLUTELY no need to be rebooting this movie. Unlike other reboots, it was neither critically panned (it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay and Best Editing), nor horribly dated (it still stands on its own even today) a testament to the early brilliance of Christopher Nolan and his team. This is nothing more than money-grubbing in my opinion, taking a beloved film (I do not want to call it a classic just yet, its only 15 years old) and remaking it for no other reason than the fact that they have the rights, and want to cash in on the name of the original director and his brilliant concept.
Of course, here’s Monika Bacardi trying to explain the move, which sounds like nothing more than studio nonsense:
“Memento is a masterpiece that leaves audiences guessing not just throughout the film, but long after as well, which is a testament to its daring approach. We intend to stay true to Christopher Nolan’s vision and deliver a memorable movie that is every bit as edgy, iconic and award-worthy as the original. It’s a big responsibility to deliver something that lives up to the mastery of the original, but we are extremely excited and motivated to bring this puzzle back to life and back into the minds of moviegoers.”
Once again, there is no reason to reboot this movie, and if I were Christopher Nolan, I would be very annoyed by the whole thing. What could they possibly do differently to make the film any more enjoyable than the first time around? And if they stick to the original concept, it will most likely feel gimmicky, as the brilliant idea of a story going in reverse was fresh when Nolan used it in 2000, but after so many re-iterations of that idea in the years since, it will seem a bit stale in the remake.
Am I the only one feeling the ridiculousness of this move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
