Nothing fills a film fan with as much dread as a remake of one of their favourite movies. Too often, our cinema screens are bombarded with horrendous \u201creimaginings\u201d \u2013 think Lilo & Stitch <\/a>(2025), Planet of the Apes (2001) orSnow White <\/a>(2025) \u2013 that leave audiences disgruntled and out-of-pocket.<\/p>\n That said, there are other films that manage to honour the original while adding their own fresh spin on the characters or plot. Some have even gone on to win awards of their own, with critics and fans alike suggesting that maybe, just maybe, the remake was better.<\/p>\n Take note that a remake can often be mistaken for a reboot, such as the excellent Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) series of films. We\u2019re talking about the literal remake, in which the essential plot, characters and dialogue are, for the most part, kept the same.<\/p>\n Here are 13 of the best remakes of great movies.<\/p>\n 13. Cheaper By the Dozen (2003)<\/strong><\/p>\n Tim Baker (Steve Martin<\/a>) accepts a new job while his wife, Kate (Bonnie Hunt), embarks on a major book tour. Following the family as they navigate a big move and a fresh start at school for their 12 children, the film is based on the autobiographical novel by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey of the same name, published in 1948.<\/p>\n Piper Perabo, Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in \u2018Cheaper by the Dozen\u2019 (20th Century Fox)<\/p>\n Well-received upon its premiere in 1950, the original film adaptation observes Frank Gilbreth (Clifton Webb) as he carries out unorthodox parenting techniques, from filming his children\u2019s tonsillectomies to flirting with his teenage daughter\u2019s classmates at the prom (no, it hasn\u2019t aged very well). Still ridiculous in its nature, the 2003 version benefits from Martin\u2019s offbeat comedy on top of his especially good chemistry between onscreen daughters Alyson Stoner and Hillary Duff.<\/p>\n 12. Bedazzled (2000)<\/strong><\/p>\n Elizabeth Hurley in \u2018Bedazzled\u2019 (20th Century Fox)<\/p>\n Brendan Fraser<\/a> stars in the 2000 update of Bedazzled as Elliot Richards, a hapless IT employee who swears he\u2019d do anything to go out with coworker Alison Gardner (Frances O\u2019Connor). Enter the devil (Elizabeth Hurley) who will grant Elliot\u2019s wishes in exchange for his soul. As the poor sap gets what he thinks he wants, those wishes end up being served with an unwelcome surprise.<\/p>\n The 2000 edition is a reimagining of Stanley Donen\u2019s 1967 version, starring Dudley Moore as Stanley Moon with Peter Cook as the Devil. Fraser was at the height of his fame at the time, having received critical praise for films such as Still Breathing and Gods and Monsters, while also asserting himself as box-office dynamite in 1999\u2019s The Mummy (another remake!).<\/p>\n Bedazzled (2000) succeeds in part thanks to Fraser\u2019s dedication to the role, along with Deena Appel\u2019s elite costuming that took the film\u2019s humour to another level. Reserve praise for Hurley, too, starring in what The Independent\u2019s Adam White branded \u201cthe ultimate Elizabeth Hurley movie<\/a>, for it asks little from her besides being suitably withering and looking sensational in a parade of fantastic outfits\u201d.<\/p>\n 11. The Fly (1986)<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeff Goldblum in \u2018The Fly\u2019 (20th Century Fox\/Kobal\/Shutterstock)<\/p>\n David Cronenberg\u2019s sci-fi horror stars Jeff Goldblum<\/a> in his prime as scientist Seth Brundle who meets journalist Ronnie Quaife (Geena Davis) as he conducts experiments on himself that quickly go awry.<\/p>\n Fitting in with Goldblum\u2019s collection of sci-fi features \u2013 Earth Girls are Easy (1988), Jurassic Park (1993), Independence Day (1997) \u2013 this was the actor at his peak when it came to whacky, outlandish films.<\/p>\n Ultimately, it\u2019s not Goldblum\u2019s grotesque humanoid fly transformation that makes the film succeed, but the looming tension between himself and Davis that adds a sense of psychological terror.<\/p>\n 10. True Grit (2010)<\/strong><\/p>\n Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges in \u2018True Grit\u2019 (Paramount Pictures)<\/p>\n Based on Henry Hathaway\u2019s 1969 original, the 2010 remake of True Grit stars Hailee Steinfeld in her breakout role as Mattie Ross, who hires the drunkard sheriff, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), to hunt down murdering outlaw Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) with help from Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon).<\/p>\n The original starred John Wayne as Cogburn and is regarded as one of the all-time great John Wayne films. Quite the feat, then, to even come close to matching it. But, if anyone was perfect for creating a new take on the classic Western then it\u2019s the Coen Brothers.<\/p>\n The duo had spent the previous decade adapting literary classics into films such as O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000) and No Country for Old Men (2007). Their True Grit successfully honours the original screenplay while inserting tasteful humour on top of the exciting yet intense plot. The results earnt them an Academy Award nomination, along with a Best Actor nod for Bridges and Best Supporting Actor for the 13-year-old Steinfeld.<\/p>\n 9. Freaky Friday (2003)<\/strong><\/p>\n Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in \u2018Freaky Friday\u2019 (Buena Vista)<\/p>\n Arguably even better known than the 1976 original, which was in turn based on the novel by screenwriter Mary Rodgers, 2003\u2019s Freaky Friday stars Lindsay Lohan as Anna, the rebellious, teenage daughter of Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis). Constantly at each other\u2019s throats, the pair suddenly find themselves swapped into one another\u2019s bodies after reading a fortune cookie.<\/p>\n The more recent version thrives on some fantastic chemistry between Lohan and Curtis, with the latter especially having a ball by playing a teenage girl trapped in the body of a boring, grumpy adult. There\u2019s room for more poignant moments, too, such as scenes where Anna and Tess finally begin to understand one another.<\/p>\n 8. <\/strong>Dune<\/strong><\/a> (2021)<\/strong><\/p>\n Timothe\u00e9 Chalamet and Kathy Bates in \u2018Dune\u2019 (2021) (Warner Bros)<\/p>\n The year is 10191 AG (After Guild) and Paul Atreides is navigating the pressures of his noble house\u2019s expectations, political stirrings, and the prophecy that the arid planet Arrakis has for him.<\/p>\n Taking what had long been considered an unfilmable text, director Denis Villeneuve<\/a> steered the franchise in a powerful new direction after David Lynch first adapted Frank Herbert\u2019s epic sci-fi novel in 1984.<\/p>\n Benefitting from cinema\u2019s advances in special effects and the work of Paul Lambert, the film was brought to life in a way that had never been seen before.<\/p>\n 7. The Parent Trap (1998)<\/strong><\/p>\n Lindsay Lohan, 12, in Disney\u2019s \u2018The Parent Trap\u2019 (Walt Disney Pictures)<\/p>\n Annie and Hallie (Lindsay Lohan) are from two different worlds: one hails from the sun-soaked vineyards of California, the other from rainy, sophisticated London. When they are thrown together at summer camp, though the pair realise they are identical twins separated by their parents (Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid) after they divorced.<\/p>\n Each wanting to get to know their estranged parent, they switch places, putting on accents and learning each other\u2019s habits in order to deceive the unwitting adults. Lohan was superb in her role, easily succeeding Hayley Mills in the 1961 version with help from a fantastic supporting cast \u2013 including Elaine Hendrix in her iconic role as Meredith.<\/p>\n 5. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)<\/strong><\/p>\n Rick Moranis in the 1986 musical comedy ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ (Warner Bros)<\/p>\n Rick Moranis plays Seymour Krelborn \u2013 a poor, nerdy florist \u2013 in Frank Oz\u2019s 1986 musical adaptation, Little Shop of Horrors. When Seymour brings in an alien plant, Audrey II, to help boost sales, he realises too late that its lust for human blood will never be satiated \u2013 and it will only get bigger!<\/p>\n Despite the controversial changes to the ending, the 1986 version stands out for its cult status in the film and musical theatre world \u2013 with outstanding comedic performances from Steve Martin as a sadistic dentist and true dedication from Oz\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n 4. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)<\/strong><\/p>\n Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan in \u2018The Thomas Crown Affair\u2019 (United Artist)<\/p>\n Why would a billionaire need to steal Monet\u2019s painting of San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk?Ask Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) a mega-rich mastermind who, in the 1999 remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, schemes to Trojan Horse the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was based on the 1968 original, with Steve McQueen in the title role. James Bond star Brosnan is cast perfectly as the smooth, suave Thomas Crown.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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