10 Sci-Fi Movies That Should Never Get Remakes

It seems like no property is safe from being remade these days, although there are still some truly iconic sci-fi releases whose legacies should be left to stand for themselves. Throughout film history, audiences have connected with stories of alien encounters, space exploration, and satirical insights into dystopian societies, and a select few timeless sci-fi classics have managed to avoid the dreaded modern Hollywood remake treatment. While that’s not to say that these movies will never be remade, most sci-fi lovers agree these films should remain untouched.

While there have been some great sci-fi remakes over the years, more often than not, they can come across as cash grabs that try to exploit the appeal of the original without improving on what came before. It’s no surprise that studios often choose to remake some of the best sci-fi movies of all time because there’s a built-in audience who will likely check out the movie just out of curiosity. It’s very difficult to pull off a great remake, so it might just be best to allow these sci-fi movies’ legacies to remain intact and undisturbed.

10

Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

Directed by George Lucas

As the inception point for one of the highest-grossing sci-fi franchises of all time, Star Wars: A New Hope was where it all began for George Lucas’s epic space opera exploration of the Skywalkers. The ripple effects of this film have been widespread as its undeniable success changed Hollywood as a whole and ushered in the era of the summer blockbuster. With an extended universe that includes three cinematic trilogies and a litany of spin-off media, the legacy of Star Wars looks set to continue for decades to come.

While it’s always exciting to see how the mythology of Star Wars gets expanded in subsequent media, nobody wants to see a straight remake of the first film. With Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford as an irreplaceable trio, one only has to look at the reception to Solo: A Star Wars Story to see their legacy should be left well enough alone. With The Force Awakens as the closest thing to A New Hope remake that anyone would be willing to accept, Star Wars should focus on new stories and not retread the past.

9

Inception (2010)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

While some viewers may be crying out for Christopher Nolan to return to the world of Inception for a sequel that expands upon its unique, dream-exploring world, nobody wants to watch this modern classic be remade. With a smart script, awe-inspiring visuals, and great performances from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception struck a chord with viewers to become one of the most successful movies of 2010.

Many years have pᴀssed since Inception was released, and there’s fear someone may attempt to go back to the well and try and remake this dream-stealing story. This would truly be a fool’s errand, as, without Nolan at the helm, any attempt to recapture the magic of the original would quickly turn into a nightmare. Sometimes, it’s nice just to let a single movie stand on its own, and Inception is a great example of Hollywood not being out of original ideas in the 21st century, and to ruin that with a remake would be a shame.

8

Brazil (1985)

Directed by Terry Gilliam

The satirical dystopia seen in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil represented some of the most unique and interesting work from the former Monty Python member. As a clever and insightful look into the ridiculousness of bureaucracy and the outrageous nature of a surveillance state, the Kafkaesque absurdity at the heart of this movie showcased the sillier side of corporatism and state capitalist agendas seen in iconic works like George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

There was a chaotic energy to Brazil that only Gilliam could pull off as the film tapped into his unique worldview and contributed to his Trilogy of Imagination, which also included Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Taken together, all these films addressed the crazed nature of modern society and humanity’s natural instinct to escape its brutal grasp. Brazil perfectly represented Gilliam’s artistic vision at the time and place in which it was produced, and to remake it today would not have nearly the same impact.

7

They Live (1988)

Directed by John Carpenter

While modern society has yet to escape the shackles of Neoliberalism, the cultural landscape has changed quite a lot since John Carpenter released They Live in 1988. As a wildly underrated movie at the time, They Live deconstructed the issues at the heart of Reaganomics and showcased how the increased commodification of culture only served to divide society. As the story of a drifter named Nada (Roddy Piper), They Live saw him discover a pair of special sunglᴀsses that allowed him to see that the ruling class were in fact aliens manipulating the status quo through subliminal messaging.

A straight remake of They Live would not have the same impact, as the idea that an elite ruling class is manipulating culture is no longer a conspiracy theory but an undeniable fact of life. Carpenter’s message remains relevant, but a modern remake would need to take things even further and highlight how citizens can push back against this controlling system. For a remake of They Live to work, it would need to properly address the fractured nature of contemporary life and reimagine its concept for the modern age.

6

Blade Runner (1982)

Directed by Ridley Scott

The visually stunning world of Blade Runner perfectly translated Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to the screen. With an incredible performance from Harrison Ford and a stylish aesthetic that mixed film noir tropes with a futuristic cyberpunk look, director Ridley Scott truly hit on something special with this cinematic depiction. As a thought-provoking story exploring existentialism, idenтιтy, and the nature of artificial intelligence, sometimes a movie is just too iconic to even think about making a remake.

One reason that Blade Runner should not be remade is that there are already so many alternate versions of it out there already. Among the seven cuts of the film in circulation, audiences are already confused about whether to watch the theatrical version, the director’s cut, or the final cut. Add to this the excellent legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049 and the anime series Blade Runner: Black Lotus, and there’s enough content in this franchise without resorting to a cash-grab remake of a timeless classic.

5

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Nobody has even dared to try and remake Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. With a legacy going back nearly six decades, this extraordinary film represented the cutting edge of cinema’s capabilities at the time and has not lost any of its innate powers in the years since. From its iconic use of classical music to the villainous nature of the AI supercomputer HAL 9000, filmmakers and film fans alike know that it’s impossible to improve upon perfection.

As a cryptic and difficult-to-decipher film, the power of 2001: A Space Odyssey was in how well its visuals, sound, special effects, and sequences all came together as a cohesive whole. Trying to remake this movie from a narrative point of view doesn’t truly work, as the mystery of the alien monolith and its early prehistoric sequences have been left up to the audience’s interpretation. 2001: A Space Odyssey was a singular classic, and its appeal would be impossible to replicate with a simple remake.

4

Alien (1979)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Few sci-fi movies have earned as revered a place in popular culture as Ridley Scott’s Alien, an all-time great film that combines the incredible worldbuilding of the sci-fi genre with the unknowable terror of space. With Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, this story about the space crew slowly being killed off one by one by a terrifying alien creature known as a Xenomorph turned the trope of a helpless female victim on its head to deliver one of cinema’s greatest heroines. As the starting point for a major franchise, Alien’s legacy is practically unmatched.

Part of the appeal of the Alien franchise is how it’s grown and developed over the years, with directors like James Cameron and David Fincher adding to its appeal with unique sequels. A remake would only serve to reset the timeline and undo decades of lore and mythology. Instead, the Alien franchise should continue to expand through sequels, spin-offs, crossovers, and extended media.

3

The Matrix (1999)

Directed by The Wachowskis

Released just before the dawn of the new millennium, The Matrix was a cinematic phenomenon that revolutionized sci-fi filmmaking. As a deeply thought-provoking and unique exploration of philosophical topics related to free will, reality, and the ethics of belief, The Matrix blended these heavy concepts with fast-paced action and an iconic cyberpunk style. With Keanu Reeves as computer hacker Neo, his role as “The One” sees him leave his simulated reality and enter into a rebellion against the machines who have enslaved humanity.

While The Matrix has had several divisive sequels, to actually remake a movie this iconic would go down very badly with sci-fi lovers. Reeves’ role as Neo feels absolutely irreplaceable, and the appeal of The Matrix represents a specific moment of transformation within the film industry. From its trailblazing use of its slow-motion bullet time to the unique nature of its premise, a remake of The Matrix would not have nearly the same appeal.

2

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

As the epitome of Steven Spielberg’s family-friendly films, there’s a nostalgic energy and timeless appeal to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial that could just never be replicated with a remake. With the perfect balance of adventure, entertainment, and pure wonder, E.T.’s success is firmly rooted in its time and place, as its use of practical effects just wouldn’t have the same impact if they were replaced by modern CGI. The bond between Elliott and E.T. also just felt so natural and unforced that simply repeating this with new actors likely would fall flat on its face.

Spielberg is well aware of the legacy of E.T. and understands that it was such a special achievement that he has refused even to make a sequel. This was evident through the planned sequel E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears, a movie that would see Elliott and his friends kidnapped by evil aliens, with E.T. needing to save them. Spielberg later said he decided to leave the legacy of E.T. alone because this sequel “would do nothing but rob the original of its virginity” (via NBC) and that “E.T. is not about going back to the planet.”

1

Back To The Future (1985)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Not only is remaking Back to the Future a terrible idea, but the original director, Robert Zemeckis, has actually ensured that this sci-fi classic cannot be remade, at least while he’s around to stop it (via Vanity Fair.) Zemeckis has managed to hold onto the rights to the franchise all this time and, in a rare example of artistic integrity in Hollywood, has repeatedly shut down any offers for a remake, reboot, or sequel focusing on the adventures of Doc and Marty.

This is great news for sci-fi lovers, as the Back to the Future trilogy remains the crown jewel in family-friendly films of the 1980s. With two irreplaceable performances from Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, it does bear thinking about what modern actors would be recruited to fill their shoes if it was ever greenlit. There’s something special about Back to the Future’s untouchable place among the litany of unnecessary sci-fi remakes out there, and long may it continue.

Sources: NBC, Vanity Fair

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