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Hollywood officially out of ideas, plans Short Circuit remake

by Parm Mann on 4 April 2008, 14:20

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Number 5 is alive - again

With all the sequels and remakes being produced by major Hollywood studios these days, many have been asking the question; "Has Hollywood run out of ideas?"

Personally, I'd always rubbished these claims. Yes, remakes are an easy source of revenue for most studios, but, that doesn't mean fresh new ideas are completely void on the big screen.

However, now that Dimension Films has acquired the rights to remake 1986's Short Circuit, I'm beginning to wonder.

Johnny 5

The original movie, which spawned a sequel and a TV spin-off show, told the tale of a robot, Johnny 5. The machine, originally developed as a military weapon, gains intelligence and personality after being struck by a lightning bolt. There really isn't much more to it.

On-board for the remake are writers S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock, who originally created the character and wrote both previous movies. David Foster, Ryan E. Heppe and John Hyde will produce, but a director isn't yet known.

According to producers, the Short Circuit remake will follow the same theme as the original movie, but will take into account advancements in Technology. We presume therefore that the new Johnny 5 will be powered by an Intel Skulltrail platform, with four 9800 GX2s running in SLI and a whopping amount of RAM. We're not sure if he'll come with USB 3.0 ports as standard, but we're not in a hurry to find out.

Has Hollywood hit an all-time-low in terms of remakes? Or are you actually looking forward to seeing Johnny 5 alive once again? Share your thoughts in the HEXUS forums.



HEXUS Forums :: 11 Comments

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I think the butler did it……


…… he did!
I'm not condoning the practice but it's hardly new - writers and directors have been retelling and reimagining stories since the early days of cinema. If you begin to look too closely you'll see the vast majority of stories repeat themselves, in terms of premise or plot, across cinema, television and even gaming; heck, with most things you can spot the influences and trace a lengthy history.

It's sad that Hollywood aren't prepared to take risks in developing new ideas but I can understand their need to protect an investment and make a healthy return. Too many independant film makers (even ones supported by those who've make their money in Hollywood's system) aren't given the audience they deserve at the box office, left only to make their mark at festivals and a subsequent DVD release.

Is this Hollywood's fault though? I'd say the wider cinema-going public are largely to blame. Too many aren't willing to part with hard earned cash and gamble a couple of hours on an experimental or wholly original release, and would rather have a more familiar story - something they know.

I could substantiate the above with hard and fast examples, but as any movie follower will know, they're there in the box office receipts. I pretty much gave up on Hollywood for original material years ago. Like many who are after something new, I look to independant and world cinema offerings instead and only return when I fancy a refill of popcorn, or I just want to switch off for a bit ;)

Short Circuit? Loved it as a kid (Johnny Five is Alive!) - it was good family entertainment in its day, nothing serious, light-hearted and just a bit of fun.
I can't wait for the announcement they are remaking the goonies.

Just think, Iain Dowie would be a cracking casting as Sloth :lol:
Will we see “Number 5 Versus Terminator” too?



“Number 5 is alive!”

Not for long mate, not for long.
I'd rather see a sequel to the original films - they're still 2 favourites … if only just for Number 5 :)