It’s been reported that Amblin’s classic film Arachnophobia is soon getting the remake treatment. Frank Marshall’s 1990 horror-comedy about an outbreak of deadly spiders is the latest beloved title to have a competitor version from filmmaker Christopher Landon with producer James Wan. While the film is in development, perhaps there is still time for it to transition into a sequel before moving into production.
The term “remake” is triggering for many cinema enthusiasts, especially when it comes to universally loved films. At this point, it may be a marketing strategy to announce certain projects as remakes just to rally people up, already fully aware that what is being planned is a sequel. This happened with 2011’s The Thing and 2009’s Friday The 13th. The projects were marketed and sold as remakes, but they cleverly snuck their way into the franchise timeline – a ‘sneaquel’ perhaps? According to the latest Scream film, they’re called “requels.” However you want to label it, it’s really nothing more than a studio feeling that loyalty to a brand is strongest with no change to the title. The thinking may have dollar signs to back it up, but many are nostalgic for a time when franchise installments used numbers to indicate where the films fell in line.
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While we continue to see perfectly contemporary films adored by fans get remade for no reason other than brand recognition and profit, there may be a glimmer of hope as Arachnophobia is further developed and potentially finds a way to expand the brand as opposed to rebooting it.
Sometimes a Remake Is Needed…but Not Always
Amblin Entertainment
Hollywood cannot remove the negative connotation from a remake. For many fans, the message will always be interpreted as the film that came before it was inferior, and this new product is superior, whether intended or not. It forces audiences to choose a side, and it’s the job of advertisers and marketing executives to win us over to the “new and improved” version. Sometimes remakes are well-founded ideas. Historically the mission of a remake was to improve upon an idea or concept, which may have held more promise than what was initially realized. Remaking a film that was made prior to color film and modern sound benchmarks is typically a welcomed gesture by movie fans.
There’s nothing wrong with remaking The Thing from Another World. The Blob clearly had room for improvement. The Fly could truly soar with a contemporary approach. But Arachnophobia? That impeccably well-produced Spielberg movie from the ’90s? It contradicts logic and never feels quite right.
A sequel to Arachnophobia could be great. It has been set up for success. While the film may not be as widely acclaimed and adored as something like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Back To The Future, or other classic Amblin movies, remaking any of them is confusing for audiences. We already learned this from the 2015 Poltergeist remake that many horror fans feel should not exist. The fact that effort didn’t go toward Poltergeist 4 is regretful. The same thing happened with Pet Sematary, Child’s Play, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Some might even argue that Stephen King’s It should have been left alone as well.
Expand an Arachnophobia Franchise
Like other Amblin properties, Arachnophobia would not be alone with multiple installments. With its spider invasion premise, there are countless ways to emulate the formula or follow up the original film directly. Led by a stellar cast including Jeff Daniels, Harley Jane Kozak, John Goodman, and Julian Sands, a new movie may or may not need to directly involve any of the original cast to still live in the same universe. Spider migration in recent years may be all screenwriters need to find inspiration for a new film. Consider the evolution of the Jurassic Park movies, another Amblin franchise. The raptor intelligence storyline helped breathe new life into subsequent installments. Honing in on spider intelligence could help raise the stakes significantly.
Back in 2012, there were serious concerns regarding the spread of brown widow spiders in Southern California that originated from Africa and South America. While less poisonous and aggressive than black widows, they spread more rapidly and are currently migrating further north. Those who have encountered the species have cited their mammal-like behavior. They’re clearly more intelligent than your typical house spider. The original film did a great job combining real entomology and arachnid science while simultaneously embellishing their macabre presence and exploiting fears associated with spiders. The over-the-top finale is fantastic, easily making it the most satisfying movie about killer spiders.
Hopefully, the new film will find a way to tell a unique story within the same universe as the original instead of rebooting the title.
