As lofty as their aim might be and as oafish as their pursuit often is, we can't help but feel a bit sorry for the actor given the task of reinventing a classic villain on screen. It's quite often as thankless task, greeted with disdain but time and time again, they keep at it.
While we've given some attention to the actors tasked with taking on the lead roles in remakes, we're not taking a look at their nemeses. Here are 15 original villains stacked up against their more contemporary equivalent.
Have any of them done a better job?
(Images: Rex Features, All Star)
Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare On Elm Street)
Played by: Robert Englund (1984) and Jackie Earle Haley (2010)
Norman Bates (Psycho)
Played by: Anthony Perkins (1960) and Vince Vaughn (1998)
Damien Thorn (The Omen)
Played by: Harvey Spencer Stephens (1976) and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick (2006)
Max Cady (Cape Fear)
Played by: Robert Mitchum (1962) and Robert De Niro (1991)
Hannibal Lecter (Manhunter/Red Dragon)
Played by: Brian Cox (1986) and Anthony Hopkins (2002)
Jack Torrance (The Shining)
Played by: Jack Nicholson (1980) and Steven Weber (1997)
Margaret White (Carrie)
Played by: Piper Laurie (1976) and Julianne Moore (2013)
Jerry (Fright Night)
Played by: Chris Sarandon (1985) and Colin Farrell (2011)
Charlie (Straw Dogs)
Played by: Del Henney (1971) and Alexander Skarsgård (2011)
Mother (Mother's Day)
Played by: Beatrice Pons (1980) and Rebecca De Mornay (2010)
John Ryder (The Hitcher)
Played by: Rutger Hauer (1987) and Sean Bean (2007)
Frank (Maniac)
Played by: Joe Spinell (1980) and Elijah Wood (2012)
Miss Hannigan (Annie)
Played by: Carol Burnett (1982) and Cameron Diaz (2014)
Paul (Funny Games)
Played by: Arno Frisch (1997) and Michael Pitt (2007)
Krug (The Last House on the Left)
Played by: David A. Hess (1972) and Garret Dillahunt (2009)
