Why do Hollywood do remakes of perfectly good pictures?

Because if it was a success once, why not make a second success.

$$$$$$$$ or put another way,avarice.

Their belief that Americans are so stupid they won’t watch a movie with subtitles, combined with their need for money, and lack of new ideas.

To cash in on a younger audience. Hoping they can “hip” it up and snag kudos. Doesn’t seem to ever work though. At least not that I can think of off the top of my head.

Money, dear boy.

You are right, it’s about reaching a broader audience. People will watch a movie with subtitles, but LOTS more will watch it if it’s easier for them.

I like Pan’s Labyrinth. I also speak spanish, and english is my native language. So I had to watch that damn movie 3–4 times.

The first time I watched it and listened to the spanish & compared to the subtitles. I was like, “damn, this is not the most effective translation.” The second time I just watched it with the subtitles b/c I wanted to just enjoy it, but I had to keep looking at the scene and the words. The third time, b/c I had already seen it twice, I just enjoyed the mix, and the movie.

If it was just done in english, I could’ve been satisfied with probably just watching it one time.

It also saves a bundle on writer’s fees, when they have a movie that’s already been written.

Because it is no longer an artist-driven industry, but a business-driven industry, which cares nothing about original ideas, and everything about profit.

I was wondering this, myself, when I saw a preview for the American version of Death at a Funeral. One, the original was simply brilliant, total perfection… two, the American version looks dumbed down and, well, stupid. I sighed. Why mess with perfection? Are Brits really that hard to identify with, that we have to make an American version of a British film?

@MissAnthrope Yes, the Brit version WAS perfect. But the American version had Chris Rock.

Not a movie . . . but The Office is great, both versions.

The same scenerio applies to rock and roll songs. maybe, the songwriters and storywriters have run out of ideas at the same time.

Because people these days have short attention spans, and because the average brain dead american teenager thinks 1990 is “OMG so ancient” they won’t see the original anyway.

Money

Lack of original thought.

Cause they like ruining them.

What I would like to say is that it’s to introduce a whole new generation to a wonderful story. That by remaking them new audiences who may have dismissed the original due to things such as, dodgy special effects, will get to experience what we did first time round. However, we all know its about $$$‘s & nothing more.

i hate remakes, All of them are not as good as the originals, I they try to repackage a perfectly good product and make it “hip” for the mainstream. I watched friday the 13th remake and was pissed off because it was lacking in blood and just outright rediculous how the victims were acting.

Some originals are not that great either. Some movies should not be made or remade at all.

remakes prove how untalented hollywood is these days.

Untalented and non creative. They all get writers block and say lets remake such and such movie and see if we can make it dumber than the original.