10 Remakes Of Classic '80s Movies That Bombed Terribly

5. Arthur

The Original: This tale of a spoiled millionaire who must choose between true love and wealth in a planned marriage cemented Dudley Moore’s status as a leading man and won Oscars for its theme song as well as John Gielgud’s turn as Moore’s butler. The 4th most popular movie of 1981, it made $95 million at the US box office.

The Remake: Directed by Jason Winer, this 2011 reboot trades down from Dudley Moore and Liza Minelli to Russell Brand and Greta Gerwig in the lead roles, though it has the sense to cast a previous Oscar winner (Helen Mirren) as Arthur’s valet. In no other aspect does the movie display sound judgment. Brand is being pressured to marry Jennifer Garner, whose character is such an inhuman, status-seeking monster that you’re never left in any doubt which direction the story will take.

After opening at #3, the movie took $33 million in the US, less than its $40 million production budget.