5 film revivals out this year you don’t want to miss
Which 2017 revivals are worth your time? We give you a rundown of the best 5
Few possessions are as treasured as the films that defined a generation, and getting the balance right between newcomers and seasoned fans is key to success. We saw a glut of franchise revivals in 2016, from new Star Wars movies to all-female Ghostbuster line-ups, and not all were up to the challenge.
With no sign of the trend letting up, however, have we discovered a newfound respect for the classics? Or has Hollywood simply run out of ideas? Either way, now’s the perfect chance to brush up on your film trivia and decide which reboots are worth your time.
Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi thriller Blade Runner holds one of the most hallowed positions in the halls of cinema. Inspired by the writings of Philip K Dick, it conjured a vast techno-dystopia sprawling with android life and the bounty hunter Rick Deckard charged with tracking them down. The indomitable Harrison Ford reprises his role as Deckard, facing off against new leading man Ryan Gosling. It seems in safe hands, too, with Arrival-director Denis Villeneuve bringing his personal brand of thoughtful, expansive science-fiction to this much-loved franchise.
The latest in Disney’s long line of live-action reboots, following a young village maiden (Emma Watson) as she uncovers the true heart beneath her captor’s beastly exterior. After a faithful Cinderella and two topsy-turvy Alice in Wonderland films, it’s hard to tell what direction this star-studded fable will take. While Ian McKellen, Ewan MacGregor and Emma Thompson lend their acting chops to the furniture, Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens is here playing the eponymous beast. Whether Steven’s hulking CGI can capture the emotion and menace of the 1991 original’s animation is yet to be seen, though you never know, “there may be something there that wasn’t there before”.
The first monster property to be resurrected in Universal’s cinematic universe, this year’s The Mummy is wiping the slate clean on its 85-year history and opening the tomb once more. It was Stephen Sommer’s popular 1999 remake that moved away from horror for a family-friendly, adventure-focused take on the classic franchise – but with action-hero Tom Cruise facing down Sofai Boutella’s Egyptian princess, could this be the thrilling monster movie we’ve been waiting for?
Four teenagers stumble across a cursed board game infused with the spirit of a mystical jungle, but can they find their way home? Described as a ‘continuation’ of the 90s classic, the new film nonetheless tweaks its lore, with the unlucky youngsters embodied within the game’s jungle by their adult counterparts: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan. It’s unlikely that the new cast can overshadow Robin William’s astonishing performance as Alan Parrish in 1995 original, though there’s a rumoured tribute to the late comedian to look out for.
After years of false hopes and speculation, the sequel to Danny Boyle’s iconic Irvine Welsh adaptation is finally here, bringing back the original cast of Mark Renton (Ewan MacGregor), Sick Boy (Johnny Lee Miller), Spud (Ewan Bremner) and Francis Begbie (Robert Carlyle). ‘T2’, as Boyle’s sleek marketing calls it, throws the original drug-addled cast back into melting pot of their Scotland hometown, 20 years after the events of the first film. Based on Welsh’s 2002 novel Porno, this should be a faithful revival for cinephiles and literati alike.
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