In the life of every brand, the time will come for a brand reboot. While plenty of Madison Avenue ad shops have regular rebranding campaigns, every once in a while, Hollywood also banks big on reboots.
Looking at this year's releases, 2014 may be that year. Five 2014 reboots to watch for:
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been many things, but first it was a gritty and comedic comic book. The early 90s movies borrowed more (and more and more) from the campy TV cartoon, and less from the comics. But, the newest revamp of the series pays homage to that earlier, gritty incarnation. Proving, once again, that when all else fails, go back to the beginning, and learn what worked. (Of course, adding Megan Fox to the cartoon can't hurt.)
Maleficent: Disney's most notorious villain is this decade's old evildoer. First introduced as Sleeping Beauty's nemesis in the 1950s, Maleficent is being brought to the big screen for the first time in live action. The timing couldn't be better. Fairy tales are huge on the small screen, and two generations who grew up on classic Disney will flock to this film to revisit their childhood terror. The lesson? When rebranding, having a ready market matters...and the right timing is vital.
Annie: This won't be the first time the stage play has been adapted for the big screen, so there will be unavoidable comparisons. To beat those comparisons and stand alone, the reboot must be visibly different, and set its own standards for energy, story, and quality. This reboot does that, renaming key characters, and casting actors that can tell the same story in a decidedly different way.
Godzilla: Yes, they're making another one. The last reboot bombed. This one must do better, or the franchise may be dead for another generation. Everyone is entitled to a mistake or two (we're looking at you New Coke), but sooner or later people will stop putting up with terrible ideas. If you reboot, you have to deliver the goods.
Hercules: Fresh off a series of relatively successful action hits, Dwayne Johnson is returning to the big screen to play the son of Zeus. This is an interesting one, because when most people think about Hercules in recent history, they think about the animated feature. So, there's not much competition in the way of live action comparison...but is there a market for this story? That question will be answered in July -- but it is one every brand must ask before they choose to reboot or rebrand.
Time will tell if the rebrand is better than the original.
Looking at this year's releases, 2014 may be that year. Five 2014 reboots to watch for:
TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has been many things, but first it was a gritty and comedic comic book. The early 90s movies borrowed more (and more and more) from the campy TV cartoon, and less from the comics. But, the newest revamp of the series pays homage to that earlier, gritty incarnation. Proving, once again, that when all else fails, go back to the beginning, and learn what worked. (Of course, adding Megan Fox to the cartoon can't hurt.)
Maleficent: Disney's most notorious villain is this decade's old evildoer. First introduced as Sleeping Beauty's nemesis in the 1950s, Maleficent is being brought to the big screen for the first time in live action. The timing couldn't be better. Fairy tales are huge on the small screen, and two generations who grew up on classic Disney will flock to this film to revisit their childhood terror. The lesson? When rebranding, having a ready market matters...and the right timing is vital.
Annie: This won't be the first time the stage play has been adapted for the big screen, so there will be unavoidable comparisons. To beat those comparisons and stand alone, the reboot must be visibly different, and set its own standards for energy, story, and quality. This reboot does that, renaming key characters, and casting actors that can tell the same story in a decidedly different way.
Godzilla: Yes, they're making another one. The last reboot bombed. This one must do better, or the franchise may be dead for another generation. Everyone is entitled to a mistake or two (we're looking at you New Coke), but sooner or later people will stop putting up with terrible ideas. If you reboot, you have to deliver the goods.
Hercules: Fresh off a series of relatively successful action hits, Dwayne Johnson is returning to the big screen to play the son of Zeus. This is an interesting one, because when most people think about Hercules in recent history, they think about the animated feature. So, there's not much competition in the way of live action comparison...but is there a market for this story? That question will be answered in July -- but it is one every brand must ask before they choose to reboot or rebrand.
Time will tell if the rebrand is better than the original.