Adapting or remaking a story for a new audience is a bit of a balancing act, and it needs some careful thought. Movie remakes can be very successful, but you also need to be clear about the reasons for doing it and the process you’ll follow. Here are the key steps to take if you’d like to adapt or remake an existing story for film or television.
Step 1: What’s the appeal?
1.1 Get to the heart of the story
What is it about the work you’ve picked to adapt that you think makes it memorable or attractive? Does it have a great character arc, or maybe some great themes that you think are relevant today? If you think about the recent ‘live action’ movie remakes of Disney films, for the most part they’ve kept the main stories and characters the same because the core of the original film was appealing, and the reason to remake it is the change of visuals.
1.2 Ch-ch-ch-changes
You’re likely not going to want to keep things exactly the same, so what can change? It may be that things like societal norms have shifted since the original story was written, or maybe technology has moved on.
The Battlestar Galactica of 1978 was a very different beast to the 2004 revamp, even though they followed the same basic premise. The 2004 version was a lot more politically charged, whereas the older one was more of a light-hearted romp to tap into the Star Wars fanbase.
1.3 Are you sure?
Not every story is going to benefit from being redone, so think carefully about whether you’re going to improve on the original(s) or if you’re just repeating something that’s already been done. Remember the 2012 version of Total Recall? No, us neither.
Step 2: Who’s your audience?
2.1 Cultural & societal shifts
Times change, and sometimes what worked in one era might seem out of touch or even offensive to a more modern audience. Conversely, forcing a particular issue in movie remakes can sometimes fall flat with the original audience, like the 2016 all-female version of Ghostbusters, which got very mixed reactions.
2.2 Adapt
Different markets might have different expectations, and movie remakes require even more thought if they’re happening across cultures. The Ring (2002) was a successful adaptation of Ringu (1998), the Japanese original. It kept the same tone but just shifted some of the culturally specific elements to make it more relatable to a Western audience. Then we have Oldboy (2013), which seemed to strip all the nuance from the Korean original.
2.3 Oh no, expectations
New audiences for movie remakes might have different expectations about pacing, representation, and how you choose to tell a story. It can be a careful juggling act with trying to keep new audiences entertained and engaged, while pleasing fans of the original by meeting their sometimes entirely different expectations.
Step 3: Modernise, but don’t force it
3.1 Representations
We’ve touched on it already, but many films and TV shows are a product of their time, which isn’t always a good thing to our more progressive eyes. A lot of older TV shows and films have had predominately white actors, and that’s mostly down to biases of the time rather than any need in the narrative. It makes sense when updating older stories to be more inclusive and representative, like The Little Mermaid (2023) and Bridgerton (2020-present)
3.2 Character motivation
Why your characters are doing whatever they’re doing may need a refresh to fit with the times. In the most recent A Star Is Born (2018), they’ve changed a character’s motivation from jealousy of his wife to his addictions, making it a bit fresher and more modern.
3.3 Don’t overcorrect
We’ve touched on this already, but if you try too hard to modernise or be progressive and end up changing absolutely everything, it can really turn the fans against you. It can also come off as disingenuous. Movie remakes are about changing without overcorrecting—you want to retain what worked about the original.
3.4 Narrative structure
We’re now a lot more open to non-linear narratives than audiences may have been when an original film or TV show was out, and it could be an effective way to shake up the story without changing a key part of the narrative. The TV remake of Westworld (2016+), for example, made great use of a non-linear structure.
Step 4: Decide how to freshen visuals and style
4.1 New techniques
With advances in technology, it’s only natural that a lot of recent movie remakes have involved things like CGI, particularly when it comes to films like Disney’s animal or fantasy character stories like The Lion King (2019) and Lady and The Tramp (2019). Even if you don’t have Disney’s budget, you can use plenty of new techniques and technology to freshen up your movie.
4.2 Genre and tone changes
Sometimes you can adjust the genre and tone of a movie remake so that it feels like something new. The Mummy from 1932 was very much a horror film, whereas the 1999 version was a lot more fun and action-filled. And the less said about the 2017 version trying to kick-start a cinematic universe, the better.
4.3 Continuity
If the style of a movie remake ends up being drastically different from previous versions of a story, it can put people off. That said, if done well, then it’s a game changer. Remember when the tone of Batman shifted from light comedy-action to serious, dark, and gravelly voiced?
Step 5: Expansion
5.1 Side characters
One way to freshen up movie remakes is by giving more time to minor characters. Sometimes this can go even further, and you may end up writing an entire spin-off for them, like Better Call Saul (2015-2022), based on Saul Goodman, who was a secondary character from Breaking Bad (2008-2013).
5.2 Subplots
A bit like with the smaller characters, you could take secondary plot threads from original stories and make more of them, or invent entirely new ones!
5.3 Change the perspective
Like with Wicked in relation to The Wizard of Oz, it’s cool to get a bit of backstory on a character from another big film or show, because it can change how we feel about them entirely. It’s also another way to tap into an existing base without going over that same ground.
Step 6: Fans and critics and buffs (oh my!)
6.1 Gauge expectations
Tentatively find out what fan expectations are. Devoted fanbases can be an amazing resource or a pain in the backside, but sometimes finding out what they want from your version of the story can be useful, and stop you falling on your face later!
6.2 Balance
Wanting to tap into an existing fan base is a big temptation, but try to balance nostalgia without relying on it too much.
6.3 Test changes before you commit
Making a pilot episode, or some teaser trails, or even having early screenings can help get you some feedback as to how your remake or adaptation might land with fans and critics.
5 great movie remakes and TV adaptations that are worth a watch
- Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009): After a Cylon attack wipes out most of humanity, a fleet of ships heads across the galaxy to look for a new place to live. It loses its way a little in season 3, but stick with it—it picks up again.
- The Last of Us (2023-present): A video-game adaptation that’s raised the bar for the genre, it’s a beautifully written series about a post-pandemic world after a fungal infection causes the collapse of society.
- Dune (parts I and II) (2021, 2024): The Dune movie remakes have been a critical and fan success, though the first more than the second. They didn’t have a high bar given the original Dune film (1984) by David Lynch was a flop!
- Casino Royale (2006): This was the third adaptation of the Fleming novel, with the first in 1954 and a spoof in 1967. It’s the Bond origin story, in essence, so the 2006 film, starring Daniel Craig as Bond for the first time, was a reboot of the franchise after a four-year gap.
- It (chapters one and two) (2017-2019). Time and technology are the main changes with this remake (and King novel adaptation) compared to the TV mini-series of 1990.
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About this page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.