In the last couple of years, there have been a bunch of 80s movie remakes: Footloose, Hairspray, The Karate Kid, Friday the 13th, Arthur, Clash of the Titans, and The A Team all come to mind. This begs the question: is Hollywood big on nostalgia, or just hoping to make extra money?
We get it: the economy is rough right now, tickets sales are at the lowest they’ve been in years, and movies are costing more and more to produce. So, Hollywood wants movies that are going to be hits, and will appeal to a large audience. So why 80s movies?
Part of it could very well be the nostalgia. The 80s is well remembered, from “Gag me with a spoon!” to Michael Jackson back when he performed music. Fashion was pretty unique then too: Day-Glo colours, denim, and the mullet.
It was a decade full of change, and now over 20 years later, those kids and teens that lived it are adults, often with kids of their own. It’s a chance for those adults to connect with their kids through remakes of the films they loved when they were that age.
But, the nostalgia factor also makes it about money: Hollywood isn’t dumb, they know the kid that grew up on The Goonies and Ghostbusters is going to be old enough to have kids of the same age. And, they know that most of the 80s kids will still be interested enough in remakes to travel out to the theater. After all, it’s hard to resist seeing how a movie you loved in the 80s has changed now that it’s 25 years later.
The surge in 80s movies isn’t over; there’s talk about Ghostbusters 3, Mortal Kombat, and even RoboCop. What 80s movie remakes are you most looking forward to?
Is there any specific movie from the 80s that you want to see remade?
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