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Over the last decade, Hollywood has brought a variety of reboots to modern audiences. Some of those reboots haven’t been very successful. In fact, some can even be classified as downright dreary experiences. Releases in 2022 would do well to avoid the mistakes of these movies. For some cautionary tales of how not to make a reboot, we’ve put together five of the biggest reboot flops in the last 10 years (ordered alphabetically for your convenience).
Fantastic Four (2015)
The first Fantastic Four, released in 2005, was by all accounts a commercial success. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, the film made over $50 million in its opening weekend, achieving the top position in gross income for its first week.
The 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four performed so poorly at cinemas that 20th Century Fox cancelled any plans for a sequel immediately after its release. Compared to the 2005 film, the 2015 version was far too dark in tone for the majority of filmgoers. The reboot won several Golden Raspberry awards in 2015, including Worst Director and Worst Picture.
2005’s Fantastic Four might have been more successful than its 2015 reboot, but it also failed to establish a franchise. The release of 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer led to disappointment at the box office, ending the run of success begun by the first film.
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Ghostbusters (2016)
Following its release in 1984, Ghostbusters’ influence on popular culture was felt almost immediately. The catchy theme song and the iconic catchphrase, “Who you gonna call?” are instantly recognisable to the vast majority of modern audiences.The 2016 all-female reboot, however, had a somewhat mixed reaction upon release.
The announcement of an all-female cast for the reboot generated polarised reactions from critics and audiences. The film’s IMDB page and YouTube channel had low ratings even before its release. With an overall budget far higher than its gross profit, Ghostbusters 2016 reportedly lost over $70 million at the box office.
Although the film maybe wasn’t as terrible as some corners of the internet would have you believe, it is nonetheless a rather mediocre film, entertaining at some points yet fairly pedestrian for the majority of its runtime.
The Mummy (2017)
Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and Arnold Vosloo, 1999’s The Mummy gave rise to two direct sequels, a spin-off prequel, as well as an animated series. Against a production budget of around $80 million, the 1999 film grossed over $400 million worldwide.
As an interesting aside, the prequel spin-off, The Scorpion King, was incredibly successful in its own right. Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the first leading role of his career, the prequel was a smash hit when it was released in 2002, staying at the top of the box office for two weeks after its release.
Universal Studios had ambitious plans for The Mummy’s 2017 remake, wanting the film to mark the start of their Dark Universe franchise. Unfortunately for them, the film was a critical and commercial failure. Instead of achieving its goal of kickstarting a new cinematic universe, The Mummy 2017 killed the Dark Universe before it could even begin.
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Ocean’s 8 (2018)
Ocean’s 11 was an incredibly successful movie for its time. With an ensemble cast and a rock-solid script, the film drew packed cinemas when it came out in December of 2001. With high-stakes thrills and witty dialogue, the film became a key influence behind the worldwide proliferation of heist films.
The release of two sequels, Ocean’s 12 in 2004 and Ocean’s 13 in 2007, led to all three movies being collectively known as the Ocean’s trilogy. The spin-off, Ocean’s 8, was announced in 2015 and premiered in June of 2018.
According to multiple critics, Ocean’s 8 has a lot going for it purely in terms of undemanding entertainment. However, compared to its predecessors, the film isn’t able to take full advantage of its A-list cast, with a distinct lack of high-stakes heist action.
RoboCop (2014)
The original RoboCop, made in 1987, has been a classic for over three decades. The movie was an instant hit with film audiences, subsequently leading to two sequels over the next few years; RoboCop 2 in 1990 and RoboCop 3 in 1993. The trilogy gave birth to various television series, video games, and comic book tie-ins.
The reboot of the original film, released in February of 2014, suffered some rather abysmal box office ratings upon release. So much so, in fact, that the 2018 announcement of a new RoboCop film included mention of it being a continuation of the 1987 film, ignoring both the reboot as well as the two sequels from the early 90s.
2014’s RoboCop isn’t nearly as thought-provoking as the original movie. According to numerous critics, 2014’s RoboCop focuses on flashy visuals and choppy action sequences far too much, ignoring (or avoiding) the original film’s philosophical issues, satire, and dark humour..
