Friday evening I went and saw The Girl on the Train. Afterwards when I was in the bathroom, a couple of girls were comparing the movie and the book and I realized A) teenage girls are annoying and I apologize for ever being one and B) I hate remakes and when books are made into TV shows and movies.
A couple of weeks ago, I was informed that one of my favorite book series, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, would be made into a TV show. I knew this dreadful day would come, but I didn’t want it to. The book series is already so perfect and most of what is effective through text might not have the same effect on screen. Also, the selfish part of me just wishes they wouldn’t make it into a TV show because they might ruin the series on screen.
This business of remaking and using books just annoys me so much. Why can’t the art of old movies and books just be left alone? Like why did Ghostbusters have to be remade? Why are Disney classics being remade into live action? Why did Fifty Shades of Grey have to be a movie series let alone a book series?
I understand the nostalgia and appeal of it all and that we are taking advantage of the better technology we have now, but it bothers me as a writer and a film major that original ideas don’t make it in the film industry anymore.
Obviously, the art of remakes and using books for a story has worked and brought good money into Hollywood so that is why it so prominent, but it scares me that that’s all that is trying to be made and watched most of the time.
We need to embrace originality. And I know there are plenty of original scripts and great writers in this world. That becomes more obvious during Oscar season when the true nature of filmmaking can be seen on the screen, but even then some of those groundbreaking movies have very limited time in theaters.
Take for example, the Best Picture winner last year, Spotlight. It was only shown in select theaters on select days and wasn't even shown in some cities until after it won its Academy Award.
Sure films like Spotlight receive love from the Academy and true film lovers and makers, but they still aren’t popular enough with the masses to start a trend of originality. That spot goes to the remakes.
I am sure this trend that annoys me so will die eventually, and it better happen before they decide to touch classics like Casablanca, but what then will happen to Hollywood?
Our film industry relies so much on reproduction, whether it be remakes or using books instead of making original scripts, that maybe original scripts will have to just stick to independent films or pulled out before award season. I hope though that once the mass of moviegoers start to get bored of remakes, they will turn their attention to what the better side of the film industry has to offer.
