Now, perhaps more so than ever, Hollywood seems to be infatuated with reboots. Whether its standalone films or full-fledged franchises, what’s old is all but destined to become new once again.
However, for every Halloween or Predator, there are a handful of other properties you might not know are also poised to receive the reboot treatment. Or, conversely, maybe you do know, but it’s been so long since you’ve heard anything that you’ve simply forgotten.
In any case, here are eight movies you probably didn’t know were being rebooted:
Ace Ventura
Despite its poor reviews, few can deny that 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective helped turn Jim Carrey into the star he is today. That being said, it should come as little surprise that Morgan Creek Entertainment Group announced last October that it plans to reboot the property, among others.
“We wanted to do a mainstream theatrical production relaunch,” Morgan Creek cofounder James G. Robinson said when the reboot was announced. “Because it’s episodic in nature, about a pet detective, it also lends itself to a traditional single-camera series franchise.”
In fact, Robinson even noted that Morgan Creek was open to having Carrey reprise his role as the titular pet detective, possibly to pass the torch to the next person in line to take on the mantle.
Big Trouble in Little China
John Carpenter’s 1986 cult classic Big Trouble in Little China may have bombed at the box office, but it certainly holds a special place in the hearts of countless movie buffs.
In 2015, it was revealed that not only was the film being remade but that arguably the biggest star in the world, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, was in talks to star in and produce the project. However, despite Johnson’s interest in bringing Carpenter back onboard, the director said he was “ambivalent about a remake.”
The Rock reassured fans in 2016 that the reboot was still in the works, but it’s been relatively quiet since then.
Pet Sematary
Hot on the heels of last year’s highly successful reboot of Stephen King’s It, we learned that yet another King classic would soon haunt a whole new generation of moviegoers: Pet Sematary.
One day before Halloween 2017, it was revealed that Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer would helm the reboot of the 1989 film based on the Stephen King novel. Things then quickly began moving along, and just two months later, the film landed an April 19, 2019 release date, with principal photography kicking off this past June.
Escape From New York
Another John Carpenter cult classic (also starring Kurt Russell) that’s receiving the reboot treatment is 1981’s Escape From New York.
In 2015, 20th Century Fox won a bidding war to secure the rights to remake the film, with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman’s The Picture Company tapped to produce. Since then, Robert Rodriguez has been brought on to helm the project, and the script has even received the blessing of Carpenter, himself.
Scarface
The planned reboot of the 1983 crime classic Scarface, which is itself a remake of the 1932 film of the same name, has certainly been through the wringer.
In 2011, Universal announced its intention to remakeScarface. However, it was described at the time as not a “remake or a sequel” but rather a project that would “take the common elements of the first two films: An outsider, an immigrant, barges his way into the criminal establishment in pursuit of a twisted version of the American dream, becoming a kingpin through a campaign of ruthlessness and violent ambition.”
In 2016, Antoine Fuqua signed on to direct the film, but he left in early 2017, at which time Diego Luna was cast in the lead role. However, in March 2018, Fuqua rejoined the project, but while it was originally slated to be released in August 2018, it’s presently still in development.
The Toxic Avenger
In April 2010, it was announced that the 1984 superhero comedy The Toxic Avenger was being rebooted in a more family-friendly manner.
Believe it or not, Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually in talks for a role in the film back in 2013. Since then, though, the most recent notable word on the status of the film came in 2016, when Sausage Party co-director Conrad Vernon signed on to direct.
Mortal Kombat
While certainly not as popular as the video game franchise, 1995’s Mortal Kombat proved to be successful enough to secure a sequel two years later. Then, in 2011, New Line Cinema announced that a full-fledged reboot was in the works.
In 2013, director Kevin Tancharoen dropped out of the project and two years later, James Wan came onboard as a producer. However, in July 2018, after apparent character breakdowns surfaced, Wan took to Twitter to say, “Please don’t be so easily baited by faux information. Good & bad news: nothing is happening yet. Literally. Still in early development. Anyone who tells you the movie is location scouting or casting is trolling you.”
That being said, the final product is still likely several years out.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Based on the comic book series by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen failed to serve as the franchise-launching film 20th Century Fox intended. Still, that didn’t stop the studio from returning to the well in 2015, when it was announced that the film would be rebooted in yet another attempt to launch a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen franchise.
Since that announcement, though, there’s been little to no word on the status of the film, so it’s unclear if it’s still in the works, especially given the forthcoming acquisition of Fox by the Walt Disney Co.