No. Just no. Some things need to be left alone. Some things cannot be recreated. Some films cannot be remade, or should not. They CAN be, but the results are always disastrous. Check out the recent BEN-HUR remake, for example. Does it qualify yet as the biggest bomb in box office history? If not, it’s close. Will Hollywood never learn? Is Hollywood even CAPABLE of learning? Is stupidity a prerequisite for getting a job as a Hollywood studio exec? Sure seems like it. Why would anyone, anywhere think it is a good idea to remake AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON? It is impossible to improve upon perfection, to “fix” a classic that does not need, and cannot profit from, refurbishing. Even so, the rumor is that Max Landis, son of director John Landis, who helmed the film, is remaking it. No, Max! Not even your genetics will enable you to accomplish the impossible!
Fortunately it is, at this time, just a rumor. And if it IS true, there’s still hope. The hypothetical film Landis Junior is hypothetically working on does not necessarily have to be a reMAKE. It could be a reBOOT. A sequel of sorts, that does nothing to disregard the original but seeks to continue the story in media res. I’d be perfectly okay with that. I’d be downright giddy with anticipation over that. Repeat after me, Max: Reboot. Sequel. NOT remake. Let this become your mantra, as it will be mine, as it will be for all werewolf fans of discerning palate. Create a monster, Max, not a monster-sized mess.
