Snap Stills/Screen Gems/Everett/Universal/Rex/Shutterstock
The problem when you’re trying to remake a classic film is that the stakes are already sky-high, so it’s very easy for the result to be a crushing disappointment.
When done right - such as with ‘The Parent Trap’, ‘True Grit’ or even ‘Hairspray’ - your remake can end up being a hit, or even cited as better than the original.
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Sadly, however, good remakes are few and far between, and since no one wants to see their favourite classic film done wrong, reviews can often be particularly scathing when directors take it upon themselves to give films a spruce-up for a modern audience.
Here are 12 more of the most poorly-received rebooted films ever...
The Stepford Wives (2004)
Snap Stills/REX
Essentially everyone involved in this remake has since distanced themselves from it, including both Nicole Kidman and Matthew Broderick, while Frank Oz admitted he “f***ed up” with ‘The Stepford Wives’, which was marred by rumours of on-set fighting and several rewrites during production.
Planet Of The Apes (2001)
20th Century Fox
This bizarre shot of an ape superimposed on the Lincoln Memorial probably tells you everything you need to know, really.
Swept Away (2002)
Screen Gems/Everett/REX
Often billed as not just one of the worst remakes, but one of the worst films ever, ‘Swept Away’ is truly a low for both Madonna and her then-husband Guy Ritchie, scooping an arguably impressive (depending on how you look it) five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Film, Worst Screen Couple and Worst Director.
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Alfie (2004)
Nils Jorgensen/REX
Seriously, Jude Law. What *was* it all about?
Annie (2014)
Columbia Pictures
Despite an all-star cast and the backing of Jay-Z and Will Smith, ‘Annie’ was savaged by critics, with Entertainment Weekly branding the soundtrack an ‘AutoTuned disaster’, although Quvenzhané Wallis was largely praised for her performance.
The Pink Panther (2006)
Col Pics/Everett/REX
This remake received mostly negative reviews upon its release and was deemed a rare misfire for Steve Martin, but that didn’t stop a sequel coming out - which was, of course, panned even more.
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The Wicker Man (2006)
Snap Stills/Rex
While the original film is hailed as one of the scariest horrors ever, the Nicolas Cage remake is more commonly associated with the comedy genre… though we’re not sure that’s quite what the filmmakers had in mind.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Moviestore/Rex
A remake so irrelevant we didn’t actually realise it existed… most reviews of ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ praised the newly-updated special effects, but claimed the remake couldn’t live up to its predecessor from the 1980s.
The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)
Snap Stills/Rex
Heavily criticised for relying on style over substance, reviewers praised the special effects of the film, but felt that without much of a story to hold things together, it wasn’t a worthy successor to the 1950s original.
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House Of Wax (2005)
Warner Br/Everett/REX
A film best known for the ‘See Paris Die!’ campaign that preceded its releasing, referring to its star, Paris Hilton. Well, at least that was a distraction from the film itself...
The Karate Kid (2010)
Col Pics/Everett/REX
When even the presence of God-amongst-men Jaden Smith can’t save your film, you know you’re doomed.
Psycho (1998)
Universal/Everett/REX
Even director Gus Van Sant admitted, shortly after Psycho’s release, that the shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic had been an “experiment”, which proved that no one can copy a film in exactly the same way as the original.
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