10 Dead Movie Franchises That Hollywood Must Revive

I’ve mentioned the Fast & Furious franchise as proof positive that you should never give up on a property that you think has wheels. Well, Cannonball Run was like the Fast & Furious on cocaine and cocktails.

Featuring an eclectic group of stars all providing glorified cameos, the original two films (and unofficial third, 1989’s Speed Zone) all centred around a highly illegal cross-country race across America for an enormous prize: the Cannonball Run of the title.

And when I say stars: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Jackie Chan, Farrah Fawcett and Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jnr. all headed up the first film, but the sequel really upped the ante, with Reynolds, Chan, Martin and Davis all joined by Telly Savalas, Shirley MacLaine, Richard Kiel and Frank Sinatra.

With the loopy cast of characters all determined to do whatever it takes to win, the franchise saw goofy set-pieces galore combine with deft comedy characters at a breakneck pace to hilarious effect. To give you a couple of examples: Reynolds was partnered with Dom DeLuise, playing a delusional man who believed his superhero alter ego ‘Captain Chaos’ was real, while the bad boy crooners from the Rat Pack were dressed, archly against type, as Catholic priests.

Bring in some big names for cameo work, rope in names like Chris Pratt and Ryan Reynolds and throw in some bizarre celebrity involvement - just off the top of my head, Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson playing themselves as a brother-sister racing team - and amp up the car chases and the stupidity, and you’ve got yourself a summer sleeper hit.