
By
Tom Victor
published
in Features
Not every successful show needs to be remade for a new audience, though it can feel more and more like the opposite is true. For every great original production on the big or small screen, there’s another that takes pre-existing material and brings it to a new audience.
Whether it’s English-language takes on foreign-language productions, American takes on English shows and films, or simply refreshed versions of older (and sometimes not even that old) material, we’ve picked out some of the best examples.
Watched and loved one? Give it an upvote. And downvote the ones you think should never have been made in the first place.
- Get a dose of nostalgia with the best 90s movies
Best TV and film remakes
£7.97 at AmazonThe Hong Kong police movie Infernal Affairs is an all-time great, as is its sequel, and there’s an argument that it didn’t need Americanisiing. However, if anyone was going to do it justice, it was Martin Scorsese. The all-star cast and elite directorship make for a gripping film and one which was awarded for its brilliance with a Best Picture Oscar. Infernal Affairs is still absolutely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it, though.
£5.97 at AmazonOkay, the American take on Insomnia might have lacked some of the claustrophobia of the Norwegian original which featured a stunning performance from Stellan Skarsgård, but it’s fantastic in its own right. We got early-stage Christopher Nolan in the director’s chair, plus two standout performances from Robin Williams and Al Pacino. If you missed it the first time around, get involved.
£8.99 at AmazonRather than play-for-play reworkings, some of the best remakes take the original material and move it to an entirely new surrounding both in language and in film tradition, The Magnificent Seven took Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai to the old west, and did the original justice while also doing well by its new surroundings. A cast including Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen certainly helped it achieve that, as did Elmer Bernstein’s memorable score.
Most newsletters are rubbish. Ours isn't.
Get exclusive shortlists, celebrity interviews and the best deals on the products you care about, straight to your inbox.