I think there must be someone at each studio in Hollywood whose job is simply to watch every movie ever made in the 1980s and then decide whether it’s worth remaking them or not. At the current rate, in a couple of years they won’t actually make any original films at all, and we’ll just have 80s reboots instead. The latest cult classic mooted for a do-over is the 1985 Val Kilmer comedy, Real Genius.
According to Pajiba, Columbia Pictures and Imagine Entertainment (Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s company) and behind reboot, which plans a new take on the story of the youngest kid to be accepted into a program for geniuses who teams up with his roommates to develop a high-powered laser, which is then stolen by the military and used as a weapon. The kinds then decide to get even.
The original wasn’t a big a hit, but became a cult classic on VHS and is loved by millions of people who are now in their 30s. Although there’s no news on what direction the new version is taking the story, you can see why the studios might think the bare bones of the plot could be fodder for a do-over. That said, the 1985 flick was almost like a high IQ version of Animal House, with plenty of satire, silly comedy, pranks and fun, but it’s easy to imagine a remake being a bit more serious and concentrate on the action.
At the moment there’s already been one remake script written and the producers are now looking for writers for a second. That means that as yet it’s a long way from getting the greenlight, but don’t be shocked if Real Genius does get remade, as at the moment Hollywood seems to think that anything from the 80s is bound to be a big hit.