Films with big budgets often fail with audiences and at the box office. However, it's important to acknowledge when a bad movie had a good idea behind it that could have made for a great film. In an era of endless remakes, reboots and sequels, fans and studios should start looking at films that had good story ideas as potential remakes.
These movies attempted to adapt source material or bring audiences something fresh but, for whatever reason, just couldn't stick the landing. Remakes of beloved franchises continue to prove divisive due to high audience expectations. However, movies that were bad from the jump have no such expectation and audiences are more likely to receive them with open minds.
10 Triangle Had Good Horror Potential But Was Too Convoluted
2009's Triangle had an excellent set-up for a good horror movie. It traded in typical horror locations for a ship adrift at sea and had its characters stalked by a scary, hooded killer with an axe. Unfortunately, the movie fell prey to the trend at the time and substituted complexity for a believable plot.
Triangle relies on a massively convoluted time-loop plot where the main protagonist turns out to be the killer. If it was remade, it could explore the horrors implied by a ghost ship and the Bermuda Triangle's infinite possibilities. It should also ditch the convoluted reveal and commit to being a horror film.
9 The Attempt To Create The Dark Universe Was Noble
2017's The Mummy was Universal Studios' attempt to launch a shared "Dark Universe" for their classic monsters. This includes the famed Universal Monsters roster that includes the Mummy, the Wolfman, Dracula, Jekyll & Hyde, and many more.
Unfortunately, the "Dark Universe" failed for a number of reasons and Universal seems to have soured on the idea. However, the issue was never the concept but rather the execution. Fans have always loved classic monsters. Remaking The Mummy again doesn't make much sense, but a new version of Jekyll & Hyde would pair well with the 2020's successful remake of The Invisible Man and help establish a solid foundation for a solid idea.
8 The Watch Was A Great Idea Made Dumb
The Watch has a lot of strong points. Its cast is a strong comedy ensemble, including Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade. The story focused on a small town besieged by alien invaders who could pose as humans and were killing local residents.
When The Watch's killings started, a local man decided to form a neighborhood watch, which brought together a unique ensemble of characters. The movie was a combination of a buddy comedy and science fiction horror, but it spent too much time on misfiring lewd comedy. The results were forgettable but it didn't have to be. A team of unknowns might be able to ride this concept to stardom.
7 Hollywood Should Take Another Shot At Pearl Harbor
Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor had some great moments, especially the raid itself and its aftermath. However, it spent far too much time focusing on a romantic drama which frankly wasn't the reason audiences went to see the movie. It was too evocative of dramas like Titanic when it should have been a straight war movie.
In a time of great modern classic war movies like 1917 and Dunkirk, taking another shot at the day of infamy would be excellent. However, it would be key to learn from the mistakes of the Michael Bay movie. This time, go heavy on the war history and light on the romantic fiction.
6 It's The Perfect Time For Another Attempt At Eragon
Eragon is a popular YA fantasy book series. In 2009, there was an attempt to bring Eragon to the big screen. However, it failed at box office, despite teasing a sequel. The movie had a lot going for it, like a strong cast, good effects, and strong source material.
Thanks to series like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, fantasy, knights and dragons have never been more popular. Now would be the perfect time to invest in another series for the iconic fantasy series and put more advanced CGI to good use in a new movie.
5 The Hellboy Franchise Shouldn't Be Left To Die
Despite being one of the most popular independent comic book series of all time, Hellboy has struggled in theaters. Despite three live-action films, only one is widely regarded as a success. A 2019 attempt at a reboot failed at the box office and likely soured the franchise's chances moving forward.
However, the Hellboy franchise shouldn't be abandoned. Rather, some more input from its creator, Mike Mignola, as well as the first film's director, Guillermo Del Toro returning could help create an excellent film. Hellboy has three decades of source material to draw on that could make the franchise even better.
4 The Last Action Hero Would Be Better Appreciated Today
Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Last Action Hero had a good idea behind it, with an action movie character breaking the fourth world and entering the real world. That style of meta-commentary can work, but the movie's execution felt tacky and disappointing.
The Last Action Hero is remembered by some as living up to its title, but the fact is it was just never that great. In an age of huge and expansive franchises, a story seeing a fictional character dealing with the real world has even more potential than it did in the '80s.
3 The Time Is Right For Howard The Duck To Get A Second Chance
The match-up of George Lucas and Marvel Comics would ordinarily sound like a fan's dream come true. However, in Howard the Duck, fans got a movie that everyone has been trying to forget ever since, including the creators involved. What should have been a fun '80s movie just failed.
Howard the Duck is Marvel Comics' sardonic avian antihero who's stuck in the human world and always finds himself caught in the middle of reality-destroying threats. Done right, the movie should have been huge, but it was both one of Marvel's first films and its most notorious flops. However, Marvel has been teasing Howard's return. If they honor that promise and do it justice they could reclaim a failed franchise.
2 Waterworld Was Mad Max At Sea And Could Duplicate Fury Road's Success
One of the biggest commercial flops in history, Kevin Costner's Waterworld was the most expensive film in history when it was released. The story brought the idea of Mad Max to a world submerged in water after disastrous climate change melted the ice caps and sunk the old world.
In Waterworld's apocalyptic future, small settlements of humanity existed in floating outposts or on large ships. The film was incredibly disappointing considering its budget and talent. In a world with great CGI and drone filming, Waterworld could be made better and cheaper today.
1 Spawn Is In Desperate Need Of A Remake
Spawn was a hotly anticipated superhero movie of the '90s, based on the hit Image comic. However, it came along at the worst era for superhero movies. The '90s produced a slew of superhero cinematic failures including Steel, Fantastic Four, and Batman and Robin. The movie was a complete mess of bad writing and terrible CGI.
Fortunately for fans, Spawn's creator Todd McFarlane has been teasing a cinematic remake for his antihero for years. Unfortunately, it seems stuck in development hell and has been moving along at a snail's pace for years. Regardless, seeing this indie antihero on the big screen again would be great, as long as they don't treat it like a standard superhero tale.