The Rod Lurie-directed remake of 'Straw Dogs' came and went over the weekend with a whimper: the thriller grossed an estimated $5 million, good for a disappointing fifth place at the box office. Not that 'Straw Dogs' will make Hollywood stop churning out remakes. "Studios are fixated on the idea of pre-sold or recognizable brands," Deadline reporter Mike Fleming told HuffPost, "and sometimes they rely too much on those brands. But it's still much easier to make a buck on." And how! Ahead, 16 coming remakes that will hit theaters in the next few years.
Gallery | 16 Upcoming Movie Remakes
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Footloose
Out in October, the new version of 'Footloose' replaces Kevin Bacon with Kenny Wormald, simple Midwestern dancing with moves out of 'Step Up,' and Kenny Loggins with Blake Shelton. It's also -- judging from advance buzz -- actually pretty good. Cut loose?
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WarGames
The 1983 Matthew Broderick/Ally Sheedy computer thriller (which was the fifth biggest hit of that year) is getting an update thanks to 'Horrible Bosses' director Seth Gordon and screenwriter Noah Oppenheim. No word yet on who will play Matthew Broderick, but you might as well start imagining Shia LaBeouf in the role to prepare yourself just in case.
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The Wild Bunch
Apparently the '80s aren't the only decade Hollywood likes to pillage for remakes. It was recently revealed that Tony Scott is considering a remake of the Sam Peckinpah-directed classic 'The Wild Bunch.' Hey, if it was good enough for 'Straw Dogs'...
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Top Gun
Not that 'The Wild Bunch' is the only remake on Tony Scott's mind. Deadline also reported that the director is hot to continue/remake his '80s classic 'Top Gun.'
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Total Recall
Because Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colin Farrell are so similar, here comes a Farrell-led remake of 'Total Recall.' Though, truthfully, this remake owes more to the original Phillip K. Dick short story than the classic Paul Verhoeven-directed film. Farrell won't even get his ass to Mars in the actioner, which is due out next August.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Produced by Michael Bay, this new (new) incarnation of 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' will come courtesy of the screenwriters behind 'Iron Man.' Not bad! Turtle power?
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Short Circuit
Meanwhile, in unhappy production news: Tim Hill, the director behind 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' and 'Hop,' was hired to helm the planned 'Short Circuit' remake. Johnny Five is alive. With poop jokes.
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RoboCop
Once earmarked for Darren Aronofsky, the long in-development 'RoboCop' remake may go before cameras with Jose Padilha as director.
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Judge Dredd
Rechristened 'Dredd,' the remake of the Sylvester Stallone comic adventure you didn't like stars Karl Urban ('Star Trek') and Olivia Thirlby ('Juno'). No Rob Schneider, sadly. It'll hit theaters in 2012.
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Highlander
Another long developing reboot of a trashy '80s property, 'Highlander' recently locked down a director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. He replaced the attached Justin Lin ('Fast Five') last week. Hopefully Christopher Lambert shows up for the new version.
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The Crow
Bradley Cooper and Juan Carlos Fresnadillo were set to remake 'The Crow' for Relativity Media, but Cooper dropped out of the project recently. With Fresnadillo already lined up for 'Highlander,' you have to wonder when 'The Crow' will actually fly again. (Groan! But you were thinking of that joke anyway.)
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A Star is Born
Remade three times already (and with an unofficial remake of the story hitting theaters in November with release of 'The Artist'), 'A Star is Born' is one of Hollywood's most popular past remakes. Clint Eastwood is set to direct the new version, with Beyonce playing the leading role made famous previously by Judy Garland and Babra Streisand. The start-date of the film was delayed recently due to Beyonce's pregnancy.
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Oldboy
Unlike most of the remakes on this list, 'Oldboy' wasn't an '80s blockbuster or seminal classic. Instead, it's a beloved cult film from South Korean director Park Chan-wook that may be even more violent than 'Drive.' Spike Lee is attached for the twisted remake, with Josh Brolin in line to star.
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Red Dawn
Wolverines! This remake was caught in the development hell created in the wake of MGM's financial troubles, but it's slated to get released sometime this year. Fun fact: star Chris Hemsworth made 'Red Dawn' before becoming an actual star with 'Thor.'
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Point Break
Vaya con dios. A remake of 'Point Break' was announced last week; Moviefone has some casting suggestions.
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Dirty Dancing
'Red Dawn,' 'Point Break,' 'Dirty Dancing,' a musical version of 'Ghost': Hollywood loves them some classic Patrick Swayze. Can a 'Father Hood' remake be far behind?
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