Which once prolific IP is dead and won‘t come back?

[u/Dipper_Pines]

I mean, I know fully well that nothing that dies in Hollywood never really dies. But if you had to pick one, which franchise do you think has seen its last entry, its final remake, its ultimate made-for-TV swansong? Are we gonna see a remake of Lethal Weapon? A reimagining of Dirty Harry? I for once find it hard to imagine that Police Academy will make a comeback.

[u/Dowew]

Lassie

[u/FOARP → u/Dowew]

Yeah, for whatever reason people just no longer want to watch a series centred around a do-gooding dog. Suprisingly, the last attempt at a n on-screen revival was in 2020, but didn’t do good numbers.

[u/prosound2000 → u/FOARP]

Some studio exec:

"So what you're saying is we need to re-imagine Lassie as a troubled, gritty dog with a past, who despite wanting to be left alone can't help but do good"

[u/Advanced-Two-9305 → u/prosound2000]

Oh, well done. Layers there.

[u/eeeeaud → u/prosound2000]

That's "The Littlest Hobo".

Which I would totes tune in for reruns of but probably not a remake. They'd just stuff it up.

[u/MrTickles22 → u/FOARP]

Hudson & Rex is all about a crime fighting wonder dog. Still in production.

[u/postsflowerpics → u/FOARP]

In a weird twist on this, one of the most popular kids shows now is paw patrol. Obviously a very different thing but still find it interesting in this context.

[u/Fritzo2162 → u/FOARP]

What? There was a Lassie movie in 2020?

Ah…looked it up and it was released in Germany. Germans can’t make sentimental movies 😂

[u/NativeMasshole → u/Fritzo2162]

Lassie! Komm her, girl! Schnell! Mach schnell!

[u/gnortsmracr → u/Dowew]

I have to agree. IPs like Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Benji, Flipper. Even more recent ones like Free Willy and Milo & Otis feel… quaint by today’s standards. I think there was a sense of innocence that— while diminishing rapidly by then— still lingered a bit in the 90s, but was obliterated in 2001. I feel like Gen X and Xennials/elder millennials were the last ones to grow up with those kinds of IP, and now they’re just nostalgic.

[u/babada → u/gnortsmracr]

This whole genre is now dominated by kids animated series. Why watch a normal dog run back and forth for 90 minutes when you can watch space dogs or oceaneer dogs or toy dogs or pirate dogs or cop dogs or whatever else can be efficiently animated.

[u/thefatchef321 → u/Dowew]

Flipper

[u/clarkrd]

the Porkies trilogy

[u/evil_timmy → u/clarkrd]

Related: Revenge of the Nerds

[u/BeekyGardener → u/evil_timmy]

They have been trying to reboot it. 2007 it was cancelled last minute right before production began. In 2020, they were trying to bring it back again.

[u/BiggieSmallz98 → u/evil_timmy]

"Bush ... I see bush!" would be hard to pull off in today's comedies

[u/writeorelse → u/clarkrd]

American Pie was as close as you could get, I think, and it’s not unthinkable that it will be revisited (again).

[u/Asha_Brea]

We already saw a remake of Lethal Weapon. A TV show was released a couple of years ago (Edit: It is way older than I thought, first season was released in 2016).

[u/IllustriousEnd2211 → u/Asha_Brea]

Which was actually solid until the two mains started fighting irl

[u/WhenAmI → u/IllustriousEnd2211]

Yeah I really enjoyed it until they tried to shoehorn in a replacement for Riggs.

[u/Deep-Assignment4124 → u/WhenAmI]

I always thought Riggs was THE Lethal Weapon.  That’s bonkers. 

[u/stunts002 → u/Deep-Assignment4124]

He is, the title comes from a joke in the first movie about having to have Riggs registered as a lethal weapon.

[u/ChefGreyBeard → u/WhenAmI]

Funny enough I actually really liked the Sean Williams Scott role in that show. If they had just made a new show with those characters and not made it lethal weapon without Riggs it might have succeeded.

[u/Rocinante88119 → u/Asha_Brea]

And lethal weapon 5/6 were fantastic, excluding their use of blackface.

[u/db2999 → u/Rocinante88119]

I think they did it tastefully. It's all about what they do with the lips. And I enjoyed the sex scene at the end of 6, with full penetration.

[u/NozGame → u/db2999]

Kinda crazy how they showed all of it tho, but I guess that's what makes it such a classic.

[u/F1XTHE → u/NozGame]

I especially liked how it just kinda... ends.

[u/dismayhurta → u/Rocinante88119]

Oh, Pepper Jack LOVEEESSSS References

[u/ProbablythelastMimsy → u/Rocinante88119]

I think Danny Glover is actually black

[u/therealrexmanning → u/ProbablythelastMimsy]

But, but, but... you're black!

[u/TacoCalzone → u/therealrexmanning]

He’s blick!

[u/The_Professor2112 → u/therealrexmanning]

He is. You are.

[u/Rocinante88119 → u/ProbablythelastMimsy]

And was like 40, when he was too old for this shit.

[u/Amazing_Karnage → u/Rocinante88119]

At 45, I can relate to him more than ever.

[u/andyzeronz → u/Rocinante88119]

The black face was fine though, they didn’t make the lips funny

[u/DeltaTester]

There were SEVENTEEN Fu Manchu movies. I cannot imagine that there will ever be another. (And I’m pretty grateful for that.)

[u/iloveagoodmurder → u/DeltaTester]

Fu Manchu gave us Marvel’s Shang-Chi. In the comics, SC’s dad was FM

[u/jigokusabre → u/iloveagoodmurder]

Marvel lost the license for the character, and for a while they just stopped using his name. I think they officially retconned Mandarin into being Shang Chi's father in the 2000s.

[u/GentlemanOctopus]

Back to the Future. Not because it was bad, but because the creators don't want it to continue.

Edit: I know it's only while they're alive. That could be a lot longer than a lot of other "dead" franchises. Public domain will also get everything in the end.

[u/Sonikku_a → u/GentlemanOctopus]

True, and the creators have said they have no desire to make more or have a reboot while they still live—but they are 73 and 74 years old. Hollywood will absolutely reboot the franchise as soon as Zemeckis and Gale aren’t with us.

[u/UnderwritingRules → u/Sonikku_a]

Unless their estates don't allow it.

[u/Sonikku_a → u/UnderwritingRules]

One hopes. But estates pass to kids, then grandkids, etc, and likely eventually someone who will care more about money than the legacy.

[u/vikmaychib → u/Sonikku_a]

They will put hours of content with interviews with the kids saying that this new version is loyal to what the creators had initially conceived. Similar to James Cameron endorsing Terminator Genisys (I think that quote funded the Avatar movies).

[u/OneOfTheOnly → u/vikmaychib]

i think titanic funded the avatar movies?

[u/MehEds → u/OneOfTheOnly]

James Cameron's sheer presence guarantees movie funding. Only Nolan exceeds his money printing ability and its only because Nolan doesn't dump 300-400 million per film.

[u/hoorahforsnakes → u/GentlemanOctopus]

There is currently a back to the future musical out, so even tho there aren't any more movies, the franchise isn't fully "dead" 

[u/yeswewillsendtheeye → u/GentlemanOctopus]

Can you imagine. Gen Z Braden McFly with a broccoli fade discovers a time travelling Tesla, goes back in time and plays Freak by Silverchair at a 90s school disco.

[u/NeverendSuperior → u/yeswewillsendtheeye]

Just got irrationally angry at the very idea of Marty McFly being a broccoli headed rizzler

[u/yeswewillsendtheeye → u/NeverendSuperior]

"This is cooked Doc"

[u/Dampmaskin → u/yeswewillsendtheeye]

There's that word again. "Cooked." Why are things so cooked in the future? Is there a problem with Earth's surface temperature? Wait a minute...

[u/Sweet-Paramedic-4600 → u/Dampmaskin]

Holy shit..we warned them didn't we?

[u/NeverendSuperior → u/yeswewillsendtheeye]

Biff 100% would be the type to say “it was just a prank bro” at which point I’d probably give up

[u/PapowSpaceGirl → u/NeverendSuperior]

And we need 6-7 jigawatts. It made my teeth hurt typing that.

[u/CuriOS_26 → u/PapowSpaceGirl]

Here, my power bank from 2035 has that much energy!

[u/gattaaca → u/yeswewillsendtheeye]

"Guess you kids aren't ready for this yet"

Plays Skibidi Toilet music

[u/Palpablevt → u/gattaaca]

But your kids are gonna love it no cap

[u/Warm_Store_1356 → u/yeswewillsendtheeye]

It writes itself tbh “Alright future boy, who’s president of the United States in 2025…?”

[u/jacoblb6173 → u/Warm_Store_1356]

President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho

[u/MrKrinkle151 → u/yeswewillsendtheeye]

Marteigh McFly

[u/Octogenarian → u/GentlemanOctopus]

I think it’s only that it can’t happen while they’re alive.  

[u/planb7615 → u/Octogenarian]

Everyone involved (especially the rights holders which might be bob gale and zemeckis) have said not while they are alive.

[u/Cannaewulnaewidnae → u/planb7615]

Gale & Zemeckis don't hold the rights

Universal agreed to grant them power of veto on any other exploitation of the IP, in return for agreeing to make parts 2 and 3 (which they didn't really want to do)

It's just a gentlemen's agreement. If Universal really wanted to make another movie, they could (I hope they don't)

[u/Heavenwasfull → u/Cannaewulnaewidnae]

So Warner bros and the matrix all over again. Despite Lana Wachowski burning the franchise to the ground with resurrections they announced a while back looking into making a fifth Matrix movie without either of the sisters involved.

Back to the future is a perfect movie. The sequels are fun but could always tell it wasn’t planned to exist. We don’t need any more from the franchise. I’m glad they never tried to reboot the original or something because it doesn’t need that either.

[u/BenFranklinsCat → u/GentlemanOctopus]

The Telltale videogame acts as a narrative expansion of the story, if that counts?

It opens with a recreation of Marty and Doc sending Einstein into the past, only this time Einstein doesn't reappear. So it's set in a branching timeline to one side of the movie, and it ends on an annoying cliffhanger where multiple Martys show up at the same time.

Edit: I was wrong, it's a direct sequel that continues the story! 

[u/charliegav → u/BenFranklinsCat]

It’s not a branching timeline. That opening with Einstein is a dream

[u/ThePreciseClimber → u/BenFranklinsCat]

And, yeah, the game was a pretty damn solid sequel. It filled in the gap between the wild west and the 1950s. The missing link between William McFly and George McFly. Canonising that every two generations of male McFlys look identical. :P

Plus, they finally gave Jennifer something to do. How about that.

Shame the game can't be purchased anymore. A bunch of other Telltale games came back but this one has been shit outta luck.

[u/CoolStoryBro808]

3 Ninjas

[u/FunkYeahPhotography → u/CoolStoryBro808]

Me watching Tum Tum be a knucklehead and eating candy when something serious is going on for the millionth time: "Brilliant. Amazing character work. They simply did it again!"

[u/StretchAntique9147 → u/FunkYeahPhotography]

Rocky trying to bag every girl he comes across by showing off his roundhouse kick. Colt entered full blown emo stsge with black gi and dyed black Bieber haircut

[u/The__Imp → u/StretchAntique9147]

Ummmm. Bag every girl? I have it on good authority that Rocky loves … Emily.

[u/0wlBear916 → u/CoolStoryBro808]

If they tried to reboot this, it would be one of those things that they do purely for nostalgia that everyone who grew up with it would pretend to be excited about when they saw the trailers, but wouldn’t actually watch it. It would also be a direct-to-streaming movie.

[u/cubosh → u/0wlBear916]

hear me out:  its the same cast, now grizzled men, full of grit and wistfulness, cast out for one last dead serious bloody mission

[u/MaximumFloofAudio → u/cubosh]

Just unhinged violence and gore

[u/BanzaiKen → u/MaximumFloofAudio]

This is exactly how the relaunched Karate Kid should've played out. Everyone is old and its a straight up Bloodsport homage, fists being dipped in glue and glass, a knifefighting round, a round where they hand out antique farming tools to both sides so there's guys fighting with scythes, pitchforks, nunchaku, coconut machetes. And finally a twist halfway in where all the competitors are there voluntarily because they want the prestige of winning and start butchering the SWAT and police team that's sent to arrest everyone, trapping Ralph Macchio as a hostage negotiator, a shitload of the stunt guys from the Raid and old Terry Crews as a juiced up suicidal boxer whose offering his fortune to the man that can finally kill him.

[u/trueum26 → u/BanzaiKen]

Tbf Kreese’s backstory is pretty dark

[u/Fastman903 → u/CoolStoryBro808]

Did you know that Rocky loves Emily?

[u/ThePreciseClimber → u/CoolStoryBro808]

Surf Ninjas.

[u/ProbablythelastMimsy → u/ThePreciseClimber]

Ernie Reyes Jr and Sr are still kicking so there's still hope

[u/lazenbaby → u/CoolStoryBro808]

This is the 3rd 3 ninjas reference I've seen today. I don't think this IP is dead. It's ripe for an ironic nostalgic reboot.

[u/shannister]

Die Hard died with Willis’ retirement and the last couple of terrible chapters. Die Hard = McLane = Willis.

Although not dead, I think Mission Impossible will take a while once Cruise 100% stops. He did embody it. But maybe they could revive a series.

Indiana Jones - at least theatrically (seems the games can keep em coming). I just don’t see the point of casting anyone else than Ford.

[u/Asha_Brea → u/shannister]

While I wholeheartedly agree that Die Hard is Bruce Willis and wouldn't work without him, that will not stop studios from trying.

[u/PostcardHell → u/Asha_Brea]

I thought i read Bruce sold his image and was digitized. So they could try to make non-bruce Bruce movies. If true, it would probably be creepy as heck.

[u/commoncod → u/shannister]

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a fantastic video game that really feels like an Indiana Jones movie on every level and the voice actor for Indy is great. I would be happy if they just continued the franchise that way so they never have to recast Harrison Ford for a live action movie.

[u/Fritzo2162 → u/commoncod]

Indy worked because of Ford’s “everything is annoying but I’ll deal with it” acting technique. They’d have to find an actor with a different quirk that gives the character charm or it would just turn into a Ford impression movie.

[u/ProbablythelastMimsy → u/shannister]

Hard to imagine a Mission Impossible franchise without Cruise, but the little ensemble they had with those movies from Ghost Protocol onward was great.

[u/punkminkis → u/ProbablythelastMimsy]

Originally, that's why they introduced Jeremy Renner, as a replacement for Tom Cruise. But then they changed their minds. Same thing with Jason Bourne, Renner was gonna keep that one going.

[u/ActuallyYeah → u/punkminkis]

God damn, Renner. At least we'll always have The Town

[u/DaddyRAS]

Carry On films. Ooh cheeky.

[u/Welshguy78 → u/DaddyRAS]

There is always chatter about reviving them, but they were a product of their time and wouldn't work without the iconic cast.

[u/dirtysantchez → u/Welshguy78]

More than just the cast, the whole nature of society has changed. Bawdy double entendres just don't work in an era of streaming hard core pornography. 

[u/Fickle-Aardvark6907]

Blondie. 

They released 28 movies based on the comic strip ending in the fifties. There has been nothing since but an animated pilot that I don't think anyone but me remembers and possibly some commercials (one of the characters is memorable for his love of ridiculously large sandwiches).

[u/insane677]

Underworld, which is a shame. I'd love a reboot with some John Wick style action.

[u/Chopper-42 → u/insane677]

Was the action supposed to be the appeal? I only watched it for Kate Beckinsale in latex.

[u/insane677 → u/Chopper-42]

The latex is nice but seeing those fangs changed my fucking life

[u/TheMightyMisanthrope → u/insane677]

The blonde vampire girl in the first movie was a revelation for me.

[u/Diuleilomopukgaai → u/insane677]

And every other prepubescent boy in the theater

[u/ShuffleAlliance → u/Chopper-42]

Kate Beckinsale in latex

Me at the tender age of 13

[u/fhgwgadsbbq → u/insane677]

Watched this again a few nights ago. Underworld is still so cool and cheesy.

And the soundtrack CD was excellent 

[u/TheSpookying → u/fhgwgadsbbq]

In our irony poisoned era where so many movies roll their eyes at themselves, look directly in the camera, and ask, "isn't this all a little bit stupid?" it's so refreshing to watch a movie that takes a tone more like "Holy SHIT there's VAMPIRES and WEREWOLVES and they're fucking SHOOTING EACH OTHER with BIG-ASS GUNS, BRO"

Like it's just played completely straight, as if it's the coolest thing ever. And they're absolutely right.

Also the fact that there are some genuinely bad acting performances (most notably the guy who plays Craven) really elevates the whole experience. Short of everyone being on Bill Nighy's level, I think having a couple genuinely bad performances makes the most enjoyable viewing experience we could have gotten out of this movie.

[u/SkintCrayon → u/TheSpookying]

I remember when my friend rolled his eyes at me for enjoying the movie, and I explained to him that I'm a simple person. Cool shit was happening on screen so it was enjoyable

[u/Tattycakes → u/TheSpookying]

Give me Michael Sheen long haired and sweaty and half dressed any day please

[u/Cannaewulnaewidnae → u/TheSpookying]

^{Bill Nighty}

His performance is not to be slept upon

It's to be slept-in

[u/AnalogBubblebath → u/TheSpookying]

This was also one of the first movies to capitalize on the action and aesthetic of The Matrix, and it did it in a pretty unique and fun way.

[u/J3wb0cc4 → u/insane677]

Seeing Amelia for more than one minute and see her fighting would be incredible. She looks so good with fangs too.

[u/Desertbro → u/insane677]

Underworld would make a good streaming series - amazing it hasn't been done yet.

[u/ThatEntrepreneur1450 → u/insane677]

I found that they just fumbled it by making Marcus a villain in the second film, he had zero reason to attack Selene or Michael. Heck, Michael was a distant relation to him while his entire schtick was that he wanted to save his family.

And like, the production team clearly hated Michaels character for some reason.

But the first three films did in my opinion form a good trillogy.

[u/Kgb725 → u/ThatEntrepreneur1450]

Yes he did Selene knew how to free William

[u/ThatEntrepreneur1450 → u/Kgb725]

Find them, yes. Trying to kill them, no.

"Hey, Selene, i want to help my brother by making him into a hybrid like Michael here"

[u/C3NTiP3D3S → u/insane677]

Underworld has too much lore. Don't need a reboot. Just explore it further.

[u/insane677 → u/C3NTiP3D3S]

I think too much time has passed. A reboot would make more sense from a commercial pov

[u/caligaris_cabinet → u/insane677]

As long as Michael Sheen is involved, I’m in.

[u/hoja_nasredin → u/insane677]

Damn. That would have been awesome

[u/ExPristina]

I take it Airplane III isn’t happening

[u/Pabsxv → u/ExPristina]

I would have agreed a few years ago but after they made a new Naked Gun I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility for a New Airplane Movie.

[u/phantompowered → u/Pabsxv]

The rebooted Naked Gun was hailed (rightly) as a startlingly effective return to form for unironic, slapstick, wackadoo joke per minute comedy films: I think it's absolutely time to bring this style of writing and shooting comedy back to the screen. I'm tired of quippy sarcasm and silly Morbius-style hatewatching, boss. Like, I genuinely can't think of a movie in forever where I went into it with the expectation of "I need something just for a laugh. '

[u/SpaceGrape → u/ExPristina]

Haha. No, but we are getting spaceballs 2, which is a shocker! Hope it’s good!

[u/YoungBeef03 → u/SpaceGrape]

No, we’re getting Spaceballs 3: The Search for Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money

[u/tchomptchomp]

I remember watching a few episodes of the attempt to resurrect X-Files and thinking there's just no way this show works in modern conspiracy-theory-addled society. It worked in the 90s when we had a cohesive shared reality that most of us belonged to. Now though? 

[u/zerocoolforschool → u/tchomptchomp]

The other thing is that the paranormal/UFO thing was HUGE in the 90s. Area 51 was new to people. All that stuff was interesting. Now it’s just common knowledge and built into the general conspiracy zeitgeist.

The original show was scary as shit at times. They just aren’t getting that back.

[u/FlyingDutchman9977 → u/zerocoolforschool]

Stargate faced a similar issue where The History Channel killed any chance of the ancient astronaut theory being taken seriously 

[u/Crizznik → u/zerocoolforschool]

They did try with Fringe, which was also really really good. They could do something like that again, but I agree, not with aliens as the primary backdrop.

[u/Jay3000X → u/tchomptchomp]

Once I hit the episode where the guy was just a terrorist and there was no other x-factor going on I tapped out. The one with the were-human was fun though but all the monster of the week ones are

[u/Wazootyman13 → u/tchomptchomp]

"Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster" is a great ep.

No overarching conspiracy, just a whole lot of silliness. And Kumail Nanjiani!

[u/neon → u/tchomptchomp]

The literally are doing a new x files though

[u/snoopwire → u/tchomptchomp]

Main reason it wouldn't work is because of the low episode count of modern shows. Same reason new Trek is just okay at most. Hope Stargate reboot can change my mind.

These shows just need random monster/planet of the week without huge plot considerations.

[u/Paxton-176 → u/snoopwire]

Bottle episodes tv shows need bottle episodes again. Take part of the cast put them in a situation and have them solve it. Helps keep cost low and expands a character.

[u/Chilis1]

Wheel of Time will sadly probably never get adapted again after that show failed.

[u/Queeg_500 → u/Chilis1]

This is why fans get upset when some self interested show runner takes a beloved story and messes with it to the point it becomes a pale immitation and fails.

We waited over 30 years for an onscreen adaptation and Rafe Judkins pissed it up the wall in 3. He messed with the story so much that it just no longer worked.

Now I very much doubt we will ever see it on screen again.

[u/bendthekneejon → u/Queeg_500]

This is why I'm so happy Brandon Sanderson has been so picky about movie/show rights with the cosmere

[u/georgefriend3 → u/Queeg_500]

See also, The Witcher.

Discworld should be ripe for adaptation also but they've always struggled or been a bit middling (Hogfather is great to watch at Christmas though), and this exact thing happened with The Watch to just piss off the entire potential core audience.

[u/Queeg_500 → u/georgefriend3]

The 'Going postal' adaptation was pretty on point. The less said about 'the Watch' the better....though they nailed Vimes.

[u/KingDarius89 → u/Chilis1]

I was willing to give it a shot even after learning they made Moiraine the main character. What caussd me.to stay far away was what they did to Perrin.

[u/Kyrros → u/KingDarius89]

As someone reading the books for the first time, I actually like Matt, and hate that they killed Loyal

[u/ThePreciseClimber]

Tarzan will definitely never return to its 20th century glory days. So many goddamn movies.

They might try to bring it back as a one-off again (like in 2016) but it will never re-franchise itself.

[u/watertrashsf → u/ThePreciseClimber]

I was gonna say George Of The Jungle

[u/xenomorphbeaver]

Nightmare on Elm Street. Everyone said no one could replace Robert Englund, then we were all proven right. I don't think anyone could sell the idea of revisiting it to investors.

[u/pathspeculiar → u/xenomorphbeaver]

I think Jackie Earle Haley was good as Freddie. Shame the rest of the reboot was so weak.

[u/nehor90210]

The Cosby Mysteries

[u/crossedstaves → u/nehor90210]

A lot of people got caught up by the twist ending of that one.

[u/jeffh4]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Buckroo Bonzai yet.

The IP rights are lost in a litigious hell where nobody knows who or what legal entities have the rights. And no one wants to spend the money to resolve it.

Tragically, Kung Fury is in a similar boat because the sequel is done, but an investor is preventing its release.

[u/Shoelacious]

Police Academy

[u/Subject_Reception681]

American Pie. I feel like half of the appeal of those kind of movies was just getting to see titties on screen. Now with the internet and nudity being so accessible, I just don't don't see people flocking to those films like they used to. Plus, from what I've read, younger people don't seem to like sex scenes in movies.

[u/BoonScepter → u/Subject_Reception681]

I mean, there are 9 of them and the newest one came out in 2020, these things were keeping a roof over Eugene Levy's head for ages lol

[u/Rise_up_Dirty_Birds → u/BoonScepter]

Schitts creek was pretty popular

[u/ThunderMenNotCats → u/Rise_up_Dirty_Birds]

This was the dark days before Schitts Creek 😅😅

[u/IJourden → u/Subject_Reception681]

Ehhh... Raunchy coming of age comedies are still a thing, although since "The Hangover" they're more centered around absurdity as things get more and more out of hand.

It's actually kind of funny to me because "American Pie" is the poster child for sex crazed teen movies, But compared to a lot of movies, it's actually really earnest.

[u/AlmostMakima → u/IJourden]

Having rewatched them a while ago, I agree, it's actually a sweet and sincere series (1-4, I do not count those godawful straight to dvd sequels as AP)

[u/Mr_BillyB → u/IJourden]

I don't think they're anywhere near as common or as big as they used to be. Definitely nowhere near the impact of American Pie. All four of the theatrical releases made over $200 million.

I agree with your point about its earnestness. The original movie especially could even be kind of instructive. The characters are just real. We've all known people just like them. There's a lot a young person could learn from the movie, provided they have a little guidance regarding the interpretation of the film.

[u/yeswewillsendtheeye → u/Subject_Reception681]

Yeah those movies are too of their time. The big identity of the original trilogy is a time capsule of that late nineties/early 2000s Blink 182/Sum 41 era. Same for other movies from the same era like Road Trip.

[u/aphoticphoton → u/Subject_Reception681]

Aside from the nudity part. The humor and stories still exist today in other movies and shows so technically someone could reboot it and it wouldn’t be a box office failure if it was made with a shoe string budget

However my argument as to why it wouldn’t work is because the American pie ip feels very tied to the 90s/early 2000s aesthetic that it would just fall flat unless a reboot or revival is set during those years

[u/karatebullfightr → u/aphoticphoton]

There are a million of these types of movies all over TUBI.

Breasts and Vomit are the two cheapest and hardest hitting special effects a young film maker can get.

[u/Area51_Spurs → u/Subject_Reception681]

The good American Pie movies were good comedies, even without the tits.

I’m sure we’ll see the high school/college sex comedy genre return when Gen Alpha gets older and inevitably rebels against Gen Z’s “ewww sex is icky and partying/drinking is lame” glued-to-Fortnite-and-their-vape phase.

Everything is cyclical.

[u/aphoticphoton → u/Area51_Spurs]

First American pie honestly was quite romantic tbh. Especially the prom night stuff lol

[u/Area51_Spurs → u/aphoticphoton]

Yea. It had a surprisingly good heart. Especially if you view it from the lens of its time.

The series in general revolved around a group of friends who cared about each other.

[u/lanfordr]

Terminator. They last four times they've tried, they failed miserably. Where else is there to go with the story?

[u/ironfist92 → u/lanfordr]

Would love them to focus on the war side of things. I loved Salvation and wanted to see more of that world.

[u/yoloqueuesf → u/ironfist92]

Yeah, i'd probably be down for a movie where it's just not about the main character somehow winning.

Try the Rogue one style, humans try to fend off robots, and in the end still fail.

[u/SuDragon2k3 → u/yoloqueuesf]

A prequal. The mission to Kyle Reese into the Time Machine, planning a reverse heist, sneaking into the Skynet Base, having it go wrong then fighting and dying to get him to the past.

Like Rogue One, we know the outcome, but it'd be the stories of the people who sacrificed to save everything.

I'd watch the hell out of that movie.

[u/writeorelse → u/lanfordr]

They got Linda Hamilton back. They had Edward Furlong on set, apparently, though you never see him directly on screen. And Dark Fate, a complete rehash of T2, was the best they could do? Gah.

Just imagine it had been Sarah and John trying to stop a different company that was on its way to being the next Skynet. No time travel - just the realization that evil AI can totally take over again if they aren’t vigilant. They have to gather and train a resistance to protect the future they fought for. That’s the movie I wanted!

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/writeorelse]

Sarah and John having to prevent any version of Skynet from popping up is essentially the plot of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

[u/taishi143]

Flipper. I doubt anybody wants to watch a pet dolphin help beat up criminals and save the water park. I still enjoyed the show though.

While we're on the topic of aquatic animals, Free Willy. Not sure if the story of an orphan vandalizing a theme park and befriending a killer whale would be popular on TikTok.

[u/WuWeiLife]

Sim City.

EA has no interest in trying to take back the market from Cities Skylines and the Maxis studio is nothing but a feature factory for The Sims.

[u/Hungry_Horace → u/WuWeiLife]

I worked on the last Sim City back in 2012. It was such a disaster that it not only killed the franchise, it killed two entire EA studios.

In era of Unreal and Unity we were still making it in Notepad ++.

Anyway, Sim City now on the same shelf as Dungeon Keeper, Syndicate and Magic Carpet in the EA vault of IPs they don’t even remember they own.

[u/FidgitForgotHisL-P → u/Hungry_Horace]

Oh man why’d you have to run my Boxing Day by reminding me of Syndicate lol. Those games were so so good.  

[u/FrameworkisDigimon → u/WuWeiLife]

EA has no interest in trying to take back the market from Cities Skylines

Hilariously, Cities Skylines 2 seems largely to have shat the bed so the opportunity exists.

[u/Flodo_McFloodiloo]

Revenge of the Nerds, considering the only remembrance it gets anymore is by people observing that its heroes get away with rape.

[u/HammerFace]

What about older IPs? Zorro, The Lone Ranger, Conan the Barbarian, The Green Hornet?

Recognizable names that may have SUPER cult audiences. They get the reboot treatment every now and again, but it never works out for them.

[u/Firm_Elevator2009]

Megas xlr

[u/Smushy__Bear]

MASH

[u/JoshDM → u/Smushy__Bear]

MASH

You have to escape your asterisks so they don't turn into italics.

[u/One-Earth9294]

Sadly I think it's Tron. My guess would be that the last, lackluster entry was the final opportunity that franchise had to shine and it did a face-plant instead.

Which is a shame, they should've pushed forward with what they built on in Legacy and Resistance and we would have been spared this last ditch effort.

[u/DontWreckYosef → u/One-Earth9294]

You might be right, but I don’t know if Disney is ready to let Tron go for good. They might reuse the IP in some way later on. Disney parks have Tron rides in Orlando and Shanghai, suggesting that they wanted to continue the long-term presence of the IP.

They simply spent way too much money on Tron: Ares (2025; wiki writes a cost of a massive, yet seemingly impossible $347.5 million in production + marketing costs) compared to the gross of $142.2 million worldwide.

How do you possibly spend $347 million on any project?

[u/LouQuacious]

Jaws maybe

[u/Randoseru_Romper]

Mindhunter...

[u/Aldetha → u/Randoseru_Romper]

Yep. They will resurrect all kinds of crap, but the thing that’s actually good will stay buried forever.

[u/Ginger-Nerd → u/Aldetha]

I think with Fincher involved it just cost way way way to much to make.

Dude is notorious for doing elaborate CGI to make tiny tiny tweaks.

It looks great, but it’s a tonne of work and cost.

[u/thePHEnomIShere → u/Randoseru_Romper]

such a cool show and such a damn waste

[u/GetYourRockCoat → u/Randoseru_Romper]

Well that reminder has ruined my morning. 

[u/cheerfuldeath]

Firefly

[u/thecrimsongypsy → u/cheerfuldeath]

Heart breaking

[u/Midnightchickover]

Smokey & the Bandit

Billy Jack

[u/far_away_fool → u/Midnightchickover]

This is the correct kind of answer. Smokey and the Bandit was a specific phase of the zeitgeist that won’t be back. Even if there was a 70s era show in the same vein, ala Stranger Things, the name isn’t worth anything anymore

[u/SignalElderberry600]

The Bourne universe. The Identity,Supremacy,Ultimatum trilogy is great, but that legacy movie and Jason Bourne 2016 weren't great and tanked people's interest on it. Only way I see it coming back if someone straight up makes the books into 70s spy movies, since the trilogy took a bit of liberty adapting the source material for the 21st century

[u/BladeRunner415]

Austin Powers.

[u/Total_Oil_3719 → u/BladeRunner415]

Yeah baby! Maybe it's for the best. Those movies are still hilarious, I don't want to see them get ruined.

[u/BonjaminClay]

Pepe Le Pew

[u/verissimoallan]

The Pink Panther.

The last five films released (from 1982 to 2009) only proved that Peter Sellers was the magic that sustained this franchise.

[u/sincerityisscxry → u/verissimoallan]

There’s a reboot on the way with Eddie Murphie.

[u/SuDragon2k3 → u/sincerityisscxry]

Oh no.

[u/his_spiffyness → u/SuDragon2k3]

How many characters is he going to play in this movie?

[u/NyxPowers]

Not particularly prolific but Tron is dead thanks to whoever the fuck cast Jared Leto.

[u/combat-ninjaspaceman → u/NyxPowers]

Tron will return in 15 years. 

[u/mysteryofthefieryeye → u/NyxPowers]

Ares wouldn't exist were it not for Leto. In other words, he cast himself. He was essentially supporting character first, then producer second, have a new script written around his character, then actor.

[u/danglotka → u/mysteryofthefieryeye]

Jared Leto giveth, and Jared Leto taketh away

[u/SuDragon2k3 → u/danglotka]

Can Jared Leto just walketh away? Please?

[u/aphoticphoton → u/NyxPowers]

I’m being bias but I still think as long as that ride exists. The tron franchise will still have a lifeline to be brought back whenever and if Disney wants. IMO

Now if Disney decides to have a true creative intention with a story or just simply a giant advertisement for the ride is a different story

[u/TheBurnsideBomber]

Tales from the Crypt

[u/neonlexicon → u/TheBurnsideBomber]

John Kassir will record personalized voicemails as the Crypt Keeper if you pay him. (Used to be $80.) It's a fun way to can keep the series alive in your heart.

[u/Kgb725 → u/TheBurnsideBomber]

Creepshow is close enough and that got revived

[u/tempestokapi]

Charlie Chan