BuzzSugar

Oh, Sad: Girls Just Want to Have Fun Remake in the Works

BuzzSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:30:33 -0700

Man! This one hurts a little. Twentieth Century Fox and Lakeshore Entertainment are planning a remake of the 1985 teen movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun. The film starred little baby-faced Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker as two teenage friends who love to dance and long to make their way - despite, of course, disapproving parents because parents just don't understand - onto their favorite show: Dance TV.

That part of the news is not too hard to swallow, since everything's being remade these days. '80s remakes, remakes, everywhere. But here's the kicker: according to Variety, "The comedy will be developed as a potential star vehicle for Miley Cyrus."

So, allow me to amend: this one hurts a lot. Miley Cyrus?! Really?

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Fox to Remake Absolutely Fabulous for the US

BuzzSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:32:20 -0700

I imagine Edina and Patsy would have a few choice words to say about this.
Fox is looking to remake the British comedy Absolutely Fabulous. This new version of the comedy would be set in LA but attempt to retain the essential flavor of "the friendship of two boozy, over-40 best friends who are desperate to stay hip and youthful."

But . . . why?
Alas, that may be the question with no answer. It's not the first attempt at an Ab Fab remake, though: Oddly, Roseanne once wanted to do a remake with Carrie Fisher in one of the lead roles. And if you remember the 1995 CBS sitcom High Society (I don't), apparently it was in essence a US ripoff.

Are there any bright spots here?
Well, maybe. Arrested Development's Mitchell Hurwitz is involved as an executive producer. And the show's being done with the blessing of Jennifer Saunders, who created the British original (and played Edina) and will also produce this one.

Could this possibly work?
If you see any way this project could be absolutely fabulous and not positively reprehensible, please do tell in the comments.

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C'mon, Get Happy? NBC Lands Partridge Family Remake

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:34:34 -0700

Want to know what NBC Entertainment boss Ben Silverman's childhood was like? Just check out his network's lineup. NBC has already tried out remakes of American Gladiators and Knight Rider, and now it's landed itself a new version of The Partridge Family.

Oddly, the people behind the project say they don't want to get too caught up in nostalgia. Writer Jeff Rake told the Hollywood Reporter that he wants to "turn the premise on its head":

"In the original, the kids actually recruited their mom to front the band, which I can't see happening in any family on this planet," he said. "The new version will reflect what seems to me to be the more realistic family band scenario these days: a struggling, sort of well-meaning mom pimping her kids in order to create a wholesome-slash-sexy cash cow."

"Wholesome-slash-sexy cash cow"? Sounds right up Silverman's alley. There's just one small problem, though: Not too many of his remakes seem to be working. Do you think there's any hope for a modern spin on The Partridge Family? Or is this yet another cultural touchstone that should just be left alone?

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Hawaii Five-O: Oh, No, Not Another Remake!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:39:47 -0700

Who needs original ideas when you can revisit the hits of the past? From Knight Rider to The Streets of San Francisco, that seems to be TV's strategy these days - and now we can add the classic cop show Hawaii Five-O to the list. The long-running TV show is going to be remade at CBS, with the fictional Hawaiian police department now being run by the son of one of the original cops.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the idea to remake the show came from the network to Criminal Minds executive producer Ed Bernero, who's "such a big Hawaii Five-O fan that he has the iconic theme song from the show as his ringtone." The show will pick up with Chris McGarrett, the son of original cop Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord), running the unit.

The original Hawaii Five-O ran for 12 seasons, and - like Miami Vice and Starsky and Hutch - it was originally supposed to be made into a feature film. The movie is stil listed as being in production, but it's apparently been stalled for a while.

Bernero said he's "not trying to reinvent" the original show. The classic theme song will be there (albeit possibly updated), while the show will keep a version of its famous "Book 'em, Danno" closing line. The original was a little before my time, but from what I've seen in reruns, I can't say this is a show I've ever felt a strong desire to revisit. What about you? To watch the original intro, just read more.

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Canada's Little Mosque Gets a US Remake

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:29:45 -0700

Little Mosque in the Midwest?
Canada's comedy series Little Mosque on the Prairie, about a Muslim community in a small prairie town, is headed south of the border. 20th Century Fox TV has picked up the rights to remake the show for American audiences.

What's the deal?
The comedy, which has been a success for the CBC since its premiere in early 2007, has generated a ton of buzz worldwide: It's one of the highest-rated Canadian-produced programs, and the series has already been exported to Dubai, Finland, Turkey, Israel, France, and Switzerland. Fox will be remaking the show, not just airing the original Canadian version, and one of the show's Canadian distributors said that the studio "got the creative vision of the show, that it has to be funny while it treads sensitively on certain Muslim issues."

Didn't we just do this?
When the CW's Aliens in America premiered last Fall, I heard some comments that it was reminding people of Little Mosque. Aliens was funny, but it never became a hit; will Little Mosque meet the same fate? If you've seen the Canadian show, I'd love to know how you think it will work for the US. In the meantime, you can watch the beginning of the series' first episode if you read more.

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Buzz In: What Projects are Too Sacred to Be Remade?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:30:01 -0800

There was a time during my teenage years, right after my hometown cable provider started carrying the Game Show Network, when I was hopelessly devoted to reruns of Match Game from the '70s. From Brett Somers' goofy glasses to the sexual innuendo I was just beginning to understand to every single thing about Charles Nelson Reilly, I thought the show was hilariously perfect.

It's become such an enduring classic in my mind, in fact, that I'm a little appalled at this report that the American Idol producers want to revive the show. As far as I'm concerned, there's no way that Match Game could work today, when the C-list celebrities who might sign up for the panel aren't that interesting and almost every TV taboo has been broken.

I know there's a general malaise about remakes these days - from the new versions of Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street to the Efron-ized version of Footloose - but I want to know about the ones that really get under your skin. Which projects are so close to your heart that you would truly scream, cry, pull your hair out, and picket the studios if they were remade?

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Things That Make Me Feel Old: The Rent Remake

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:30:00 -0700

When I was an angsty, misunderstood teenager, I wanted few things more than to see Rent on Broadway. It was, after all, a musical for "our generation." I was a sucker for the story, which seemed then like edgy political commentary, and of course I loved the semi-racy, semi-rockin' soundtrack.

Well, apparently I'm no longer hip, and neither are my fellow 20- and 30-somethings who fell hard for Rent the first time around. See, Rent is being remade for British theater - and the producers are calling their show a "contemporary" take on the musical.

Ouch.

This version is "digital production for a digital world - more a pop opera than a rock opera," the director told Variety. He also said that the "grunge-style electric guitar" is all but gone from the soundtrack. Gone the way of flannel, old-school Smashing Pumpkins and the stereotypical Generation X slacker, I suppose.

Granted, Rent is itself a remake of La Boheme, and its story is pegged to a very particular time and place. Parts of the story were feeling dated already when the movie version came out two years ago. But saying Rent needs to be retooled for a younger, cooler generation makes me long for the days when "Seasons of Love" felt deeply meaningful - and maybe even revolutionary.

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Disney Moves Ahead on Live-Action Snow White Remake

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:26:24 -0700

Is that a picture of Snow White next to a picture of some monks?
Why, yes. Yes, it is.

But why?
Well, because Disney is planning a live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, directed by Francis Lawrence of I Am Legend.

But ... the monks?
In this version, tentatively titled Snow and the Seven, a British girl in 19th century Hong Kong will realize she must conquer an evil force - and she'll train for her adventure with seven Shaolin monks. There's even a crazy internet rumor that Natalie Portman and Jet Li could be involved.

I'm baffled.
This project has been floating around for a while - Michael Chabon was supposed to write the script at one point, though he's no longer involved, and at least four other writers have also had their hands on the screenplay - but it looks like Disney's really going ahead with it now. I'm not sure why Disney would risk sullying a true classic with a remake that sounds a little ... um, far-fetched, especially when the project has already been this troubled. What's your take?

Monk photo Source

Bill and Ted are Getting an Update

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:34:21 -0700

Dude.
The LA Times brings us the news that Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is being remade for a straight-to-DVD release.

It's a joke, right?
Nope. Writers Gabe Grifoni and Suzanne Francis already have an outline for the script. Original creators Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson weren't asked to participate, but they said they wish Bill and Ted well.

What about Keanu?
From the sounds of things, this is going to be a straight-up remake, not a sequel focusing on the guys in their 40s (which, frankly, could have been pretty funny). So it looks like Keanu and Alex Winter are off the hook. But who else could play Bill and Ted?

Could it possibly be excellent?
I'm pretty worried about this one, guys. After all the outcry over the Footloose remake yesterday, I simply can't wait to see what you have to say about this.

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Can Jessica Change Her Image With The Eye?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:01:24 -0700

I tend to think of Jessica Alba as one of those actresses who's just famous for being hot. Apparently, Alba knows that and wants to lose the label, starting with her role in The Eye, a remake of a 2002 Hong Kong film. In the thriller, Alba plays a blind violinist who gets a eye transplant that gives her special powers.

Quite a departure from Honey, and from the sound of her recent interview with MTV News, she's relieved to be playing a role that's a bit deeper than her usual fare:

"I totally appreciate the stuff [I usually do]," the "Sin City" stunner said last week on the set of her latest movie. "But you know what? It's a lot more interesting for me to play someone who is blind and a classical violin player than someone who is running around in the rain wearing a white T-shirt."

For more details and pics of Alba on set, read more

The Eye is being produced by Tom Cruise, and Alba's co-stars include Rachael Leigh Cook, Parker Posey, and Alessandro Nivola. According to MTV News:

For obvious reasons, the film seems destined for comparisons to such imports as "The Ring" and "The Grudge," but Alba's leading man insists "The Eye" will give American audiences something unique to look at.

"The challenge, anytime you're making a movie in a tried-and-tested genre, is to bring something that feels different about it," ("Jurassic Park III") said of the mission facing himself and Alba.

Well, Jessica Alba being cast as a blind violinist definitely feels different. But judging from these photos of Alba on set, it's not like she's pulling a Charlize Theron in Monster or anything. What do you guys think: Can Alba be a serious actress?

View 6 Photos ›

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