From Hollywood remakes to classic revamps, we examine five directors who have famously remade their own feature films.
This week, cinema and Science-Fiction fans alike pleased to be given the first sneak-peek at the fantasy apocalyptic reboot Mad Max: Fury Road, which will be released next year.
The first official trailer was shown at the Comic Con weekend in San Diego, which exposed fans to new and refurbished characters that so many are familiar with. The director of the original Mad Max (1979) series, George Miller, is back to tackle the characters once again, giving them a makeover and revamping the cult classic.
Miller is not the only director to have ever remade his own film; there have been many over the years. Some filmmakers have wanted to have another shot at a project they’ve known to love whereas others have merely wanted to make their film available to a more mainstream audience (typically making it in English, with the idea of aiming the reboot at the American market, which statistically is less willing to engage in films that aren’t in the English language). Either way, when directors reboot their own work it is always an unusual and intriguing choice, that piques cinemagoers interest, making you wonder what they will change a second time around.
With the release of the trailer for George Miller’s Mad Max, starring Tom Hardy, we at Film3Sixty decided take a look at our top 5 favourite director restorations.
WATCH THE MAD MAX: FURY ROAD TRAILER HERE
Alfred Hitchcock – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934/1956)
Our first film on the list may surprise many of you. Alfred Hitchcock was known for his originality and diverse content. However, both versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much are surprisingly different; despite the same title, which is not linked to G. K. Chesterton’s novel of the same name. Hitchcock’s 1934 remake recast the leads, opting for stars Leslie Banks and Edna Best as a British couple on holiday in Switzerland when their daughter is kidnapped after the couple withheld some enticing information.
Hitchcock’s 1956 version stars Hollywood icons James Stewart and Doris Day as an American couple on vacation in Morocco whose son is stolen away as a result of an assassination plot. Despite a similar narrative, both versions contain dissimilar tones and settings. Whilst both adaptations are viewed as critical success and deemed noteworthy features of cinema, the 1956 is perhaps most remembered predominantly for its Oscar-winning song ‘Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)’. The Man Who Knew Too Much is the only film on our list that’s successor has been more popular than its precursor.
George Sluizer – Spoorloos (1988)/The Vanishing (1993)
Over the years, Spoorloos has grown to become a cult classic over, recognised as one of the most-acclaimed European thrillers ever made. Spoorloos (The Vanishing) tells the story of a Dutch couple, Rex (Gene Bervoets) and Saskia (Johanna ter Steege), who are travelling through France. After stopping for gas, Saskia pops into the shop to buy some drinks and never returns. Rex spends three years obsessed with finding out what happened to his girlfriend and is prepared to do whatever it takes.
In 1993, Dutch filmmaker George Sluizer, who, after the originals success in Europe, decided to remake his film in the English language. The Hollywood version was remade in 1993 and starred Kiefer Sutherland, Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately, The Vanishing deemed to be a stark contrast of its predecessor receiving poor reviews and confusion as to why Sluizer would want to remake such a masterpiece. Despite this minor hiccup, Spoorloos is still a must-see and a landmark in Danish cinema.
