Conan the Barbarian returns to the big screen this week as the eighties movie gets a 21st Century makeover with a new director and a new leading man.
And Conan is just one of a whole host of eighties movies that have been remade for a new audience, Fright Night and Footloose are just two more that will be heading to the big screen this year.
So to celebrate the release of the movie we take a look at some of the much loved eighties movies that have been given a modern day makeover.
- The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid was brought to the big screen for the first time in 1984 by director John G.Avildsen - and we were introduced to Mr Miyagi.
Several sequels were spanned over the years but the 1984 original remained the best and most loved of the series.
Then last year Harald Zwart gave the franchise a new lease of life as Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan took on the role of student and mentor Dre Parker & Mr Han.
The movie was a box office hit when it was released and grossed in excess of $358 million at the global box office.
- Arthur
Arthur is the role that Dudley Moore will forever be remembered for when it was released back in 1981.
The movie was the fourth biggest grossing movie of the year and Moore went on to be nominated for a Best actor Oscar for his central performance.
Thirty years later and the role of Arthur was taken over by cheeky chappie and comedian turned actor Russell Brand.
The movie was directed by Jason Winer and boasted an all star cast that included Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Nick Nolte.
However the movie struggled with both the critics and at the box office - sadly this movie will not be held in as high regard as the original.
- Miami Vice
It’s not only eighties movies that have been given an up to date makeover as TV has also not escaped this trend.
Miami Vice was one of the best and most loved cop dramas that ran between 1984-1990 and starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as Crockett & Tubbs.
Michael Mann had produced the TV series and in 2005 he directed the big screen adaptation which starred Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell.
Unfortunately the movie was awful, despite the fact that it topped the American box office when it was released.
- The Fog
Released in 1980 The Fog remains one of John Carpenter’s finest horror movies, and a personal favourite of the director.
Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis found themselves face to face with zombie like ghosts who invade a California fishing town looking for revenge.
Sadly this movie was ruined in 2005 when Rupert Wainwright remade the movie with a cast that included Tom Welling and Maggie Grace.
The movie was mauled by the critics when it was released, it’s surprising that Carpenter produced it, and it really did struggle at the box office.
- Clash of the Titans
The Clash of the Titans remains one of my favourite fantasy/action movies of the eighties as Desmond Davis directed the story of Perseus back in 1981.
Once again Ray Harryhausen was on hand to work on the special effects, just like Jason And the Argonauts and Sinbad The Eye of the Tiger.
2010 saw the eighties favourite remade for the 3D generation as Sam Worthington took over the lead role of Perseus with Liam Neeson, Gemma Arterton and Ralph Fiennes all on the cast list.
Despite the some of the negative comments from the critics the movie did well at the box office, grossing in excess of $493 million; a sequel will hit the big screen next year.
- Nightmare On Elm Street
A Nightmare On Elm Street remains one of the greatest horror movies ever made and Freddy Krueger one of the genres best villains.
Played brilliantly by Robert Englund the character is now an icon in horror cinema and the actor reprised the role many times over the years.
But in 2010 director Samuel Bayer brought a remake of the original to the big screen with Jackie Earle Haley taking over the character of Krueger.
Like so many of the horror remakes before it A Nightmare on Elm Street was not met well by the critics but it did take over $115 million - recouping it’s $35 million budget.
- Conan The Barbarian
The role of Conan has always been synonymous with Arnold Schwarzenegger as he played the character twice in the eighties in Conan The Barbarian and Conan The Destroyer.
This week sees man mountain take over the title role as Conan The Barbarian is remade for the 21st Century.
Since birth, Conan’s life has been marked by violence.
And after watching his fellow tribesmen and his father brutally and cruelly killed, Conan vows to avenge his peoples’ slaughter, even if it means sacrificing his own life in the process.
Conan the Barbarian is released 24th August
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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