12 Iconic Movie Characters Who Were Disastrously Recast
Trying and failing to replace greatness.
Given how important brand power is to Hollywood's model for financial dominance, it should come as no surprise that studios would seek a means to cashing in on established audiences. That's the main reason behind the modern fascination with franchises, sequels and - particularly - reboots, which seek to squeeze as much life out of successful original properties as humanly possible.
Sometimes, continuing after a first iteration comes to an end works: the X-Men franchise reboot initially worked exceptionally well for instance. But that seems to be an exception that proves the rule that Hollywood should steer clear of attempting to remake or reboot films that were already good in the first place.
Inevitably, that logic seems to fall on deaf eyes most of the time. Studios very much believe in the "if it worked once, it will work again" mantra, and we've all been forced to endure their attempts to polish steel and call it silver far too many times. Even when they're faced with what could reasonably be called definitive performances, Hollywood's ideas men still insist that they can do better.
And as a result, some movies now only stand as reminders that you should never try to mess with greatness...