Difference between Remake and Reboot
Nowadays, the film industry is quick to profit from virtually any franchise. And a clear indicator of that is that various remakes, reissues and “inspired-by” sequels that are released on a regular basis. In this comparison article, we take a look at the characteristics of the remake and another form of cinematic reissue, the reboot.
Definition
A remake is a media piece that is largely based on an earlier work of the same type. The term generally refers to movies that utilize an earlier movie as source material, as opposed to later movies that are based on the same primary source.
The reboot is another media form, which for its part, is a new work that basically discards the majority or entirety of the concepts of the previous installments in the series in favor of new ideas. In such works, all established facts in the story are considered irrelevant and even non-existent, and the story begins as if it is totally new.
Purpose
Reboots are produced as a way for film franchises to basically revamp or reinvigorate a series in order to gain new audiences and boost revenues. They are therefore commonly produced as a means to bring stale franchises back to life. In some cases, they may also be a safe project for some studios, given the established audience of a certain franchise.
Although not a remake in the strictest sense of the word, a number of films that draw inspiration from TV series have been produced. Most of these are generally considered inferior to the source material, although a number of them, such as the Mission: Impossible series for instance, have gone on to become respected works in their own right.
Approach
Aside from a few exceptions, remakes generally make a number of significant changes to the original in terms of character, plot, and theme. The remake of The Thomas Crown Affair for instance, involves the theft of valuable artwork, while the storyline of the 1968 original involved a bank robbery. The remake of The Italian Job released in 2003 also departed significantly from the 1969 original, as did the 1983 remake of Scarface, which detailed the exploits of a cocaine smuggler instead of the illegal alcohol trade of the 1932 original.
Reboots are notably different from prequels, which generally stay pretty close to the continuity of the original series. In a reboot, the previous continuity is mostly discarded in favor of a new theme. Prequels are also generally developed by the creator of the original series, while remakes are frequently produced by different authors. In this sense, remakes can be considered a re-telling of the original story, and they basically maintain the continuity of the original.
Summary
Remake
- Largely based on an earlier work of the same type
- Term generally refers to movies that utilize an earlier movie as source material
Reboot
- A new work that basically discards the majority or entirety of the concepts of the previous installments in the series
