1.  Unit 26 PR5: Remakes and Production
Factors Which Influence them
In the media, a film that has been successful in the past, can be remade with a
brand new cast by production companies for several reasons such as, new
technology (eg. New camera and new editing software), the financial success of
the original and the language barrier (eg. If a film is a different language then an
remake might be made in English for more of an audience). If a film has arrived
back in style, such as a superhero film if the comic comes back, then is it back in
trend. The synergy can also help bring a film back to remake as synergy is the
relationship of the production company/film to say, a clothing company. If they
started bringing back the film franchise, then say, t-shirts, jumpers, figurines etc.
may be brought back to raise the films reputation. Horizontal and vertical
integration is the strategy and management of a production company that either
is complementary or competitive or owned by another company that acquires
competitors in the same industry, producing a different product to combine a
satisfying need. Dredd 2012, used a lot of Computer-generated imagery (CGI) to
apply the use of graphics to create images within the scene.
An example of vertical Integration would be the Walt Disney Company owning
the Buena Vista company, which distributed the 1995 original Judge Dredd. The
Walt Disney company also own Hollywood Pictures, which produced Judge
Dredd in 1995. With the Walt Disney company owning a distributor and
production company, they can collect the profits from both sides. An example of
horizontal integration would be the 2012 version of Dredd. Both the films
distributor and production companies are all independent from each other,
therefore collecting their own profits. Dredd, or Judge Dredd as it is known to the
older generation is a 2012 remake starting Karl Urban as Dredd, compared to the
1995 original, starring Sylvester Stallone. The two films are both of the science-
fiction action genres. The two films have a different storylines with the original
being about a former judge prisoner that escapes, reclaims his judge uniform,
wears it and sets Dredd up to be framed for a murder. The remake is about a
drug that is effecting people’s perception of time that is making the gang leader,
MaMa, turn against people as she is distributing it. The remake has obvious
differences from the original such as different portrayals of the characters and
new technology such as the phantom flex camera, which captures a rate of over
3000 frames per second (fps), compared to a normal cinematic film camera
capturing only 26 fps. Using this modern technology, allows super-slow motion in
HD, which allows the audience to get a full on effect of the drug used in the film,
and its effects it has on the characters , which is said to slow time down to a total
of 1% of actual time, making the drug and the effect more dramatic. Another

2. factor of Dredd, is the remake allowed the franchise to reboot itself in comics and
other areas. One example of this would be the release of the 2012 version going
onto DVD. Since technology has advanced, the DVD was available in Blu ray.
An example of Vertical integration would be Sony Pictures owning Screen Gems,
who bought the rights off the independent Spanish motion picture production and
distributor company, Filmax, for the rights of 'REC.' (a Spanish horror film).
Screen Gems bought the rights so they could produce 'Quarantine', an American
version of REC, to which Sony, due to Screen Gems, could collect the profits for
the production, distribution and exhibition of 'Quarantine'.
[REC.] was a Spanish horror film, produced and distributed by Filmax
international in 2007. It was written and directed by Jaume Balaguero and Paco
Plaza, and produced by Julio Fernandez. Some of the stars in the first film of the
REC franchise were Manuela Velasco, a famous Spanish TV host and actress,
Ferrah Terraza and Pablo Rosso. The budget for the first REC was $2 million,
but took a massive difference of $32.5 million in box office takings. REC was
originally broadcasted in Spain, before the US bought the rights and created an
American version called ‘Quarantine’, which was directed by John Erick Dowdle,
and produced by Doug Davidson. The main lead in Quarantine is portrayed by
Jennifer Carpenter, with other actors such as Jay Hernandez and Greg
Germann. It was distributed by ScreenGems, which aforementioned, was bought
by Sony, who bought the rights to REC. Quarantine’s country of origin was the
united states, as it was recreated in English language. The budget for the
remake, was $12 million, with the box office taking $41,319,906. The budget for
the remake would have been a lot higher than the REC series, as the US version
would of featured more well-known actors who would have been paid more than
the Spanish actors. REC and Quarantine were in the cinema around the same
time as each other, but the American version took more box office takings. I think
this is because people who of known that REC was in Spanish, and therefore

3. that might have put them off going to see it, not understanding what the actors
are saying, and the fact that they would of have to have read subtitles, hence
Quarantine being made, for the English speaking people to go see it and
understand it. The two films follow nearly identical themes as each other, but
Quarantine doesn’t focus on the religious theme as much as the REC franchise
does, which REC director Jaume Balaguero said he disliked Quarantine,
“because it’s a copy” and they “avoided the religious themes”, where as
Quarantine focused more on a terrorist theme.
An example of horizontal integration, would be again, Sony owning screen gems
aforementioned. Screen gems distributed Carrie (2013) which starred Chloe
Grace Moretz as teenager Carrie, Ansel Elgort and Juilanna Moore. It was
produced by Kevin Misher Films, with a budget of $30 million and eventually took
a box office taking of $85,039,284. This version of Carrie was a 2013 remake of
the 1977 Carrie, starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie, alongside John Travolta and
William Katt. The two films follow the same story line of Carrie having powers
that her very religious mother thinks have been given to her by the devil and they
are a sin. Carrie gets teased a lot at school as she doesn’t really fit in, but gets
asked to prom after her school bully regrets being unkind, and asks her boyfriend
to ask Carrie. Carrie and Tommy Ross (Ansel Elgort) go to the prom together,
and get crowned prom queen, just as she gets pig blood poured over, which
makes her angry and she starts using her powers, which result in her killing
some fellow students, teachers and burning the school down. Star theory is used
in the remake as the actors are well known with modern films. With the actors,
they are around the age of the characters they are portraying, which makes the
film more believable. Also, with the actors being younger than the original, they
will appeal to a new and younger audience, therefore attracting more of an
audience. With the remake, the also used star theory as the actors would have
portrayed their characters, using modern features such as the use of the mobile

4. phone in the shower scene in the 2013, it’s a natural to the actors. With the
synergy for Carrie, it has circled about again. Carrie doesn’t have a massive
merchandise variety, the main items are simple t-shirts with the 2013 actress,
Chloe Grace Mortez’s face on covered in blood and figurines of Carrie at the
prom in her home-made dress and another one of her covered in blood.
An example of Horizontal integration would be again, Sony, buying Columbia
Pictures in 1989. As Sony owns Columbia, they have the rights to all its previous
films, hence having remakes made by the company. An example of a remake from
Sony, would be 'The Karate Kid' (1984) starring Ralph Macchio, which was remade
in 2010, under the same name of 'The Karate Kid' starring Jackie Chan and Jaden
Smith. This was remade due to the original success, and with the success of the
remake, Sony could collect all its profits due to owning Columbia. With the Karate
Kid remake, I would apply star theory for the reason behind the remake, as it stars
Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. Jackie Chan is a martial arts actor who is famously
known in all age generations, and Jaden Smith is known through his dad, Will Smith,
who is also known in all generations. With the Karate Kid being a huge film when it
was released, the older generation grew up with it, and loved it and with a remake, it
would encourage them to go see it with their family, who may also take a liking to it.
The synergy for Karate Kid has grown over the years since the release of the original
and remake. The merchandise franchise has expanded to t-shirts, figurines, dress up
outfits of a karate kit etc.

5. War of the Worlds 1953 was directed by Byron Haskin and the film was of the
American Technicolor science fiction genre and was produced by Paramount
pictures. The film’s story line is loosely based on the novel of the same name by H.G
Wells, and is about an invasion of Earth from Mars, concerning spaceships and
Martian war machines wiping out humanity. Due to the time of its release of 1953, it
was a popular film as it there was nothing really like it already out on the film market.
The film won an Academy Award for its special effects. The remake of War Of The
Worlds, arrived in 2005, 52 years after the original. It was directed by Steven
Spielberg, and was produced by Amblin Entertainment and Cruise/Wagner. The
remake was of the same storyline. Both films were loosely based on the American
cold war era. The film was remade for several reasons, three of them being new
technology being around, such as Computer-generated imagery (CGI) allowing
Spielberg to merge CGI and real live footage together with out there being any
obvious differences. CGI also allows the edited effects to appear realistic. Secondly,
the remake also stars Tom Cruise, who is a widely known actor with a filmography of
well-known films. The film also stars Dakota Fanning, who was a child actor who was
popular, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto and Tim Robbins. With the 1953 films being a
huge success financially and popularity wise, the remake was bound to be equally as
great, with the added extras of new technology and a well-known cast, it was due to
be a success of all ages. The third reason for the remake would be political factors,
such as the event of 9/11 happening in America in 2001. 9/11 had the effect on War
of the Worlds as Spielberg wanted to recreate the atmosphere the attack had on the
world. The budget for the 2005 remake was around $132 million, with box office
takings of around $591 million. The original 1953 budget was around $2 million, with
box office takings of around $2 million.

6. Another remake would be the two versions of Lolita, 1962 and the remake from
1997. The 1962 film was directed by Stanley Kubrick, produced by Seven Arts, AA
Production and Anya Pictures, directed the 1962 film. It was distributed by Metro
Goldwyn Mayer and Turner Entertainment. The cast featured Sue Lyon as Lolita,
and James Mason as Professor Humbert. Its budget was around $2 million and
earned a box office selling of around $9,250,000. The film was based upon the novel
of the same name by Vldamir Nabokov. The film featured the same storyline of the
book, but toned down the provocative aspects, leaving much to the audience’s
imagination. The remake from 1997, was directed by Adrian Lyne, was produced by
Pathe, distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Company (no relation to the 1962 film’s
distributor). It starred Dominique Swain as Lolita and Jeremy Irons as Professor
Humbert. It had a budget of around $62 million and box office takings of around
$1,147,784. The plot is about a professor who moves into a town to start teaching.
While moving into town, he rents a room from widow Charlotte, where he meets
Charlotte’s teenage daughter, Lolita, whom he immediately becomes obsessed with.
He then marries Charlotte to be near to Lolita at all times. Charlotte eventually finds
a diary Humbert kept about his feelings for Lolita, and as she runs out to confront
him onto the road, a car kills her. After his wife’s death, Humbert peruses a
relationship with Lolita and they go travelling. While travelling, Lolita becomes bored
with Humbert and runs off with another man. After three years, Lolita writes to
Humbert asking for money, and upon his arrival of visiting Lolita, he discovers she
abandoned this other man when she discovered he did child pornography, got
married and that she is pregnant. Humbert, still in love with Lolita, asks her to run
away with him, to which she refuses. Humbert tracks down this other man who did
pornography, kills him for what he put Lolita through. He is then tracked down by the
police and arrested; he then died the same year Lolita died during long childbirth.
During the release of the 1962 version, it wasn’t widely accepted because of the age
gap of the characters and their relation, it made people feel uncomfortable. The 1997

7. version, was seen as remake of Vldamir’s novel, rather than the 1962 film because
he focused more on the romance and lust, rather than the age gap and morals.
Lyne’s Lolita was seen as more dark and depressing, but more loyal to the portrayal
of Vldamir’s. With the 35 year age gap between the two films, society had time to
accept the theme of Lolita and its effects on society, but comparing the two films, the
1962 Lolita by Kubrick was favoured more than the 1997 by Lyne. Film critic, Keith
Phillips stated that “Lyne doesn’t seem to get the novel, failing to incorporate any of
Nabokov’s black comedy – which is to say, Lolita’s heart and soul”. In the theme of
black comedy, Kubrick’s Lolita was favoured more.