Disney is in a remake mood, but there are a lot of lesser-known movies that should be redone instead of classics!
Fans will always grouse when it’s announced a remake or a reboot of a past movie is coming. Sure, now and then, a remake can work, but most fail to capture what made the original movie work so well.
Disney, of course, has been doing live-action remakes of their animated movies as well as looking at some past films. That includes Bryce Dallas Howard planning a remake of the cult 1986 movie The Flight of the Navigator.
But there’s a period that Disney should be exploring for any possible remakes: The Dark Age. This is the nickname for the period between 1970 and 1986 when Disney’s movie output wasn’t that great.
Many will note the animated films, yet the live-action ones were rough too. There were hits and favorites like Race to Witch Mountain and The Apple Dumpling Gang. But there were also scores of forgettable movies and some flops.
That’s why Disney should look at this period for some remakes as there were movies in this time that could do much better today with improved storyline and special effects. These are a few live-action films from Disney’s Dark Age that could be great for a remake as fans would prefer a poor movie getting a second chance rather than redoing one that was already great.
1. The Black Hole
There have been a few attempts at remaking this 1979 epic, which, at the time, was the costliest Disney movie ever. The plot is an amazing mix of sci-fi and horror as the crew of an explorer ship finds a long-missing vessel floating at the edge of a monstrous black hole. As terrifying as the black hole is, the truth about the ship and its captain (Maximillian Schell) is far worse.
The movie boasts some then-fantastic special effects. The best of them is Maxmillian, a robot that could make Darth Vader back off a bit. The story is a bit weak, yet so much potential for a reboot.
It can boast better effects, even moodier horror and maybe even fix that infamously debatable ending. This is a past property screaming for a modern take, as Disney was ahead of the curve on a sci-fi horror tale that could become a surprise gem in today’s world.
2. Condorman
We’ve written before about this underrated 1982 comedy where a comic book writer (Michael Crawford) gets involved with the CIA. With comic book projects hotter today, this could work better. It’s still fun to see what happens when a writer is given a CIA budget for anything from gadgets to costumes and lives out his dreams of adventure.
A remake can amp up the comedy and add more comic book motifs. There’s fun in how the bad guys think they’re dealing with some ace operative, unaware it’s a total amateur in over his head. There can even be tongue-in-cheek shots at the Marvel movies.
Maybe the writer is using an MCU-style film as the cover for his operations, so people mistake his antics for part of a movie. Either way, with the love of comic book films abounding, Disney has a chance to make Condorman soar once more.
3. The Watcher In the Woods
Gothic horror has seen a comeback in the last few years. That makes it a good time for Disney to revisit this 1980 film. The film tested poorly in its initial release, leading to it being pulled and recut for a weaker effort. Today, it could resonate far better.
The tale has promise as two sisters travel to a remote mansion in England and soon become involved in a supernatural mystery revolving around a long-missing girl. The film was just too scary for those used to Disney films in 1980 and the changed endings didn’t help it. A 2017 TV movie based on the novel was a good attempt, but a big-budget release would be better.
Seeing how gothic horror has risen in popularity, a new version can be moodier, spookier and overall a gripping experience. This is a remake many would want to watch to finally do justice to this underrated cult film.
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes
Another horror piece, this 1983 film was written by legendary sci-fi author Ray Bradbury, adapting his own story. Sadly, it was better known for a troubled production that included director Jack Clayton being fired and Disney spending millions shooting a new ending.
That distracted from a story that sounds like something out of Stephen King. A carnival led by the mysterious Mr. Dark causes magical chaos in a small town as Dark tempts people with their heart’s desire…at a terrible cost.
The movie has a cult following with some praising the story yet noting the issues of its slow pacing. A new version can amp up the horror aspects better with the two brothers caught in the middle of this nightmare.
Stranger Things has proven folks will turn out for a story about kids in a supernatural adventure. This may actually work as a limited series, deepening the story on Dark, creating this chaos, and showing how Disney can do horror as well as anyone.
5. Midnight Madness
This 1980 movie is only remembered today as the film debut of a young Michael J. Fox. It was a box office flop and barely pops up in mentions of Disney films. So why bring it up?
Because the plot could work much better today than it did in 1980. An eccentric college student cooks up “The Great All-Nighter,” a series of games played by five teams of students. Cue a wild night of the teams driving around L.A. and causing comedic chaos.
Today, games like this happen all the time and thus perfect for a movie. The way the teams operate on classic college tropes is also fun and working in modern technology to the game can be more exciting than back then.
This is one of those truly “under the radar” movies that could be a better watch today and a great romp that might inspire some real-life All-Nighters.
6. Dragonslayer
Technically a co-production with Paramount, this 1981 film was a daring attempt at a big-budget fantasy picture at a time when the genre wasn’t as popular. In a land where a kingdom regularly sacrifices a maiden to appease a dragon, a wizard and his apprentice have to stop it.
The film was darker and more daring than other Disney pictures (even with brief nudity) and hailed for the then-fantastic effects of the dragon. That’s helped it attain a cult following over the years.
With fantasy movies a bigger deal, this could work as a new movie. The CGI for the dragon would be much better, it can boost up the already compelling leads (like the woman aiding the apprentice) and turn this into a true epic for fantasy lovers.
7. Return to Oz
We’ve written before about how this 1985 movie turned into a messy production, resulting in a film that’s become nightmare fuel for a generation. Some may say a remake isn’t needed because of that, while others do, in fact, love the original too much to touch.
Yet, with Wicked smashing the box office and up for several Oscars, it’s only logical Disney returns to Oz in some way. A new take on this storyline with better effects and writing, capturing more of the magic of Oz, could be compelling.
If anything, this sounds like a great idea for a Disney+ show: Dorothy coming back and trying to save the land. That would allow the writers to explore facets of the Oz books and bring it all together in a nice spin on the mythology.
It’s just amazing that Disney has done more with Oz, and a return to it in any way seems inevitable for fans.