The document discusses factors that influence the remaking of films, comparing original films to their remakes. It analyzes four remakes: Quarantine/Rec, The Karate Kid, and War of the Worlds. Production factors like trends, stars, synergy between productions, and vertical integration influence remakes. Remakes are also influenced by political or social contexts, like Spielberg remaking War of the Worlds to compare the alien invasion to 9/11. Distributors aim to profit from remakes by reaching new audiences and building on the original's success.

1. Sophie Malone
Same Film, Different Time and Place
I am looking into the different production factors that influence the remake of a film, these
can include trends, stars, synergy and vertical integration. Films are always being remade
but certain factors are taken into account.
I have looked at two horror films that have been remade; the original film was Rec a Spanish
film directed by Jaume Balagueró in 2007, the 2008 remake was Quarantine directed by
John Erick Dowdle. Both films are about a reporter who is filming the local fire department
and follows them on a call to an elderly lady trapped inside her apartment, when they reach
the emergency they enter the building and discover that the building isn’t what they
expected. They begin to get attacked by the elderly woman; she bites one of the firemen
and he plummets to his death, after this incident more horrific occurrences begin to
happen. The entire building becomes blocked off and nobody know what is
going on inside. All of the goings on are captured on camera by the TV
presenter and her camera man, they witness all of the further attacks and the
people that begin to change and become infected by something mysterious.
Rec is a Spanish film released in 2007 and directed by Jaume Balaguero. The film
is in a documentary style and keeps to this theme throughout the entire film.
The main actress that stars in the film is Manuela Velasco, she is a Spanish TV
presenter turned actress, and the chosen actress is a clever way
of convincing the audience that the film is actually reality
because of her status in Spain of being a reality TV presenter. The film was
distributed by Filmax, a small Spanish production company. The film budget
was €1,500,000 and the box office takings was $32,492,948, the film was
very successful after being distributed around America.
This type of film is very popular because the audience want to see the reality
style, the most popular TV documentary is reality TV, things like Police,
Camera, Action that involves real life situations are becoming increasingly
popular, so using this style allows the audience to relate to it and this thought in
itself can be very scary. Other film of the same style such Cloverfield and Diary of
Dead were released at the same time, the audience want to see these type of
movies, the reality aspect is very well-liked as well as being intimidating and
scary. This means that the production factor influencing this remake in trends,
the reality trend is popular and well received.
The movie Rec was then remade in 2008 by the American film director John Erick
Dowdle and distributed by a big Hollywood company Screen Gems, this time
round the film was meant to be a big blockbuster horror that everyone would
see. The film starred bigger and better known actors and unlike Rec the film was
English with no subtitles. The budget of this movie was much higher than

2. Sophie Malone
previous and in total costing $12 million and taking in $41,319,906 at the box office.
Both Films were successful although REC had a much smaller budget, at the box office it
didn’t make that much less than Quarantine which was suppose to be a big Hollywood
horror film. Screen Gems wanted to make and release Quarantine so quickly because the
popularity of Rec was becoming more obvious so getting the film out quickly would have
been the best plan, people love the idea of Rec and so screen gems know what the audience
will feel about Rec and so they know what the reaction will be to quarantine. Also Screen
Gems had bought the rights to Rec and releasing the film across America and the UK would
mean the company are doubling the money, but people were still watch REC instead of
going to see its remake Quarantine. The production factor influencing this film is synergy, this
means that both films are profiting at the same time whilst being distributed.
The film REC and Quarantine were both distributed by the company Screen Gems this was
done around Europe and America and this means that both films were distributed at the
same time which allows the company to generate more money. The company Screen Gems
is a subsidiary of Sony, Sony is responsible for the production, distribution and
consumption of the films, Sony is a vertical integrated company. Sony have their
own production company called Sony Pictures, it is where all of their films are
made. Sony will then distribute their films, they will circulate their films all over
and sell them to different audiences, and lastly they will get their film into shops
to sell them. This means they will profit from all areas of production distribution
and exhibition through vertical integration.
Another film I have looked at is the 2010 film The Karate Kid directed by Harald
Zwart staring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. It is remake of the 1984 film of the
same name directed by John G. Avildsen starring Ralph Macchio.
Both films are about a young boy who is beaten by a bully and is then trained by
his building handyman in martial arts. The bully is arrogant and is trained to be
vicious and cruel, the main boy is taught a different way and ‘the right way’. The
boy ends up fighting the bully and beating him. Both films are
about the relationship between the student and teacher, it’s about
their understanding and commitment to each other.
Both films were distributed by Columbia Pictures and were both
very successful, in 1984 the films budget was around $8 million and at the box
office took in around $90,815,558 and now in today’s ever growing film industry the current
film had a much bigger budget of $40 million and took in $359,125,613. The success and
response to the first movie meant that a remake was always in question with expectations
of being not only as good as the original but also better, with the different technology
available today such as CGI and different special effects as well as the ability to watch a
movie in HD meant that a new generation would be a to watch the film bigger and better

3. Sophie Malone
than previous. The actors are also a big influence in the movies, in
the 1984 version the stars used in the movie were not considered
big Hollywood actors but in the 2010 version the actors are much
bigger, bother actors are well known, the young lead is the son of one of Hollywood’s
biggest actors and the older lead in famous for the style of acting he does.
Remaking this film was a good idea, parent would be able to take their children to
see a film they watched at a similar age, this benefits the distributor as they are
doubling their takings not only are their target audience, children, going to see this
but also their parents, brothers, sisters and all other age groups will watch this film
to.
The original version of The War of the Worlds is a film adaptation of H.G.Wells
story and was produced in 1953 and was directed by Byron Haskin. The film is
about the people of a small town in California who find a meteor that has landed
in the hill. They soon realise that the visitor aboard the meteor aren’t so friendly.
The film was produced at Paramount Pictures studios.
In 2005 director Steven Spielberg remade the 1953 film War of the Worlds,
the film was made at both Amblin Entertainment and Cruise/Wagner. The
film had a huge budget of $132 million and took in $591,745,550 at the box office.
This film was a much bigger production with bigger and better effects, cast and crew.
The storyline of the film is Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines and one
family fights for survival. The story of this film has the same bases but is interpreted a
little different.
The factor surrounding the remake of this film is a firm political reason.
Spielberg is trying to compare this movie to the September 11 th 2001
tragedy of the Twin Towers. Spielberg says that Earth is being watch and has been
for some time, he uses the aliens as a way of showing Osama Bin Laden. In the film
the aliens begin to just take the lives of people in seconds this also refers to the
scenes in downtown Manhattan on the morning of one of history’s darkest
moment, when lives were being taken in an instant. The film also uses
intertextuality from 9/11 there is a scene within the film in which people are
putting up pictures of missing family members and friends which is what
happened during 9/11 people would put up pictures to desperately try and find
missing loved ones. The audience sees this message and can understand it, given a reason to
remake this film.

4. Sophie Malone