There are rumors that a Shawshank Redemption remake might be in the works, but it could only be a success if the filmmakers use Mike Flanagan’s rules for adaptations. The original movie was directed by Frank Darabont and is based on the Stephen King novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

In the movie, Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a man falsely convicted of killing his wife and her lover and sentenced to the Shawshank Penitentiary. While there, he befriends another prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman) and eventually finds a way to escape and find his freedom by the end. A remake needs to do more than simply retell this story.

Shawshank Redemption Needs To Have A New Take If Anyone Remakes It

As noted, there are discussions that The Shawshank Redemption might be shopped around for a possible remake. This news broke when Stephen King terminated Warner Bros.’ copyright licence for The Shawshank Redemption. This could mean that King could be getting a new deal for a filmmaker to remake the movie.

However, there seems to be no reason to remake an already perfect movie. The Shawshank Redemption is one of the highest-rated movies of all time on IMDb, based on user votes. It has a perfect cast, a great story, and remains one of the best Stephen King movies ever made. That said, there could be one way to do it.

Mike Flanagan is remaking Carrie right now as a TV series, and he also holds the rights to The Dark Tower, which was previously made as a disappointing movie. When discussing remaking Carrie, Flanagan said he was making sure to do one very important thing (via Collider):

“I can only really talk about what we’re not doing. We’re not retelling the story as it’s been told, and we’re not making a show about telekinesis. It’s in there, but that’s not what it’s about.”

He emphasized that he is not retelling the story everyone already saw in the previous Carrie movies. That is a big deal, because there is no reason just to do the same thing. That is what hurt previous remakes of Carrie, as well as Pet Sematary and Salem’s Lot. He also made similar comments about The Dark Tower.

“I’m aiming for something…it can’t be what’s in the book, it’s not logistically possible… How do you make it so the King fans will lean forward and be excited about this particular change?”

This is where it gets tricky, because as Stanley Kubrick learned, Stephen King fans don’t always react well to changes. However, Mike Flanagan has earned fans’ trust thanks to his work on movies such as Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game. He understands how to do it, and whoever remakes Shawshank needs to as well.

The Original Shawshank Redemption Is Already A Perfect Adaptation

The biggest problem is that The Shawshank Redemption is a movie that Stephen King fans already love. It tells the story from the novella perfectly, while Frank Darabont made subtle changes that made the story even better. No matter what a remake does, it will find it almost impossible to improve on it.

Critics awarded The Shawshank Redemption an 89% Rotten Tomatoes score, but the early mixed reviews have been pumped up a lot by people discovering its brilliance in later years. The audience on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 98% score, and IMDb voters ranked it at 9.3 out of 10, which is even higher than The Godfather.

Even if a Shawshank Redemption remake is another brilliant film, it will always have to face the fact that it follows a movie that fans already love.

Why A “Different” Shawshank Redemption Remake Is Unlikely To Happen

The idea of getting a new Shawshank Redemption movie does not feel right for Stephen King fans. However, while King got back the licensing rights to it, that doesn’t mean it will be made into a new movie, and there is a good chance it won’t. He might just be getting it back to ensure it doesn’t happen.

When Mike Flanagan came to King and asked to consider making Carrie into a TV series, King was not excited and asked Flanagan to let the girl rest in peace. However, when Flanagan returned with his ideas for the series, King got excited and let him go forward with it. King also hopes Flanagan can finally break The Dark Tower.

However, not everyone is Mike Flanagan, and it might be impossible to sell Stephen King on a new version of The Shawshank Redemption since its legacy is as one of his best adaptations. A remake of The Shawshank Redemption is a mistake, but if anyone follows Mike Flanagan’s rules, there is a chance it could work out somehow.

Sources: Collider