5 Classic Fantasy Movies That Are Perfect For A Modern Remake

Before 1939's "The Wizard of Oz" forever changed cinema, L. Frank Baum's "Oz" books had already been adapted into multiple motion pictures. This included 1910's "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and a 1925 Larry Semon directorial effort also entitled "The Wizard of Oz." Other fixtures of the fantasy literature scene, like "Alice in Wonderland," were also given a barrage of adaptations across varying eras of cinema history. Given the popularity of these stories, it's no surprise that they'd be rich fodder for cinematic adaptations. In the process, these titles established a precedent for there never being just one definitive cinematic take on a classic fairy tale.

Instead, these sagas are constantly evolving into new forms via remakes that introduce new generations to beloved characters and narratives. The fantasy movie remake is a cornerstone of the movie industry and has allowed for films of all artistic styles (not to mention quality levels) to exist on the big screen. Given that this domain isn't about to wither away anytime soon, it's worth considering five fantasy movie classics that seem particularly ripe for remakes. Just because these movies have special places in people's hearts and/or critical acclaim doesn't mean there wouldn't be captivating creative possibilities in remaking them.

Each of these five fantasy movies would benefit in different ways from the remake process. All five are just crying out for new cinematic interpretations. After all, they'd be continuing the rich history of fantasy movie remakes, one that dates back to cinema's earliest days.

In 1984, "The NeverEnding Story," writer/director Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation (which he penned with Herman Weigel) of the 1979 Michael Ende novel of the same name, hit theaters. This project combined a quicksand swamp and an unlucky horse to traumatize children all over the world while its deeply tactile fantasy world also enchanted those same viewers. Functioning both as a magical tale and a universal example of a movie that traumatized people as kids was a microcosm of how "The NeverEnding Story" did something very much right. However, this film adaptation left large chunks of the novel (specifically the entire second half of the story) on the cutting room floor.

Given this reality, there's certainly room for another, vastly different movie adaptation of "The NeverEnding Story." Understandably, for years, people have wondered if some kind of "NeverEnding Story" reboot will ever happen. Even beyond finally bringing certain key "NeverEnding Story" plot points into live-action cinema, a remake from a distinctive creative vision (think of the precision Denis Villeneuve brings to his "Dune" films) could make the world of Fantasia (or Fantastica, in Ende's novel) completely fresh. Keep the emphasis on practical effects and grimness from the original film, but otherwise, go in a completely different aesthetic direction. 

There's tons of wiggle for a new visual interpretation of this fictional domain. Plus, it's high time a new generation of kids enjoyed the kind of trauma-induced nightmares that only "The NeverEnding Story" could provide.

Many of the musical movies you need to watch right now deploy vibrant color schemes that could only exist in this heightened genre. Unfortunately, several modern musicals have inexplicably opted to deliver films where characters navigate drab tableaus illuminated by minimal lighting. "Cats," "Dear Evan Hansen," "Joker: Folie à Deux," 2026's "Moana" remake; they all take place in permanent nighttime and subdue their colors to unintentionally comical degrees. We need unabashedly silly movies again. What we need is a second coming of the 1980 roller-skating fantasy musical, "Xanadu."

This camp classic starring Olivia Newton-John and featuring Gene Kelly's last film acting credit might sound like a strange one to receive the remake treatment. However, the incredibly successful 2007 stage musical adaptation of "Xanadu" has demonstrated that this distinctly '80s creation doesn't have to remain in that era. Fully committed musical performances, not to mention iconic tunes from bands like Electric Light Orchestra, never go out of style. Hire a great modern queer cinema icon (like Angela Robinson, Alice Maio Mackay, or Alice Wu), let them paint the screen in vibrant visuals that would make Powell & Pressburger and Jacques Demy proud, and "Xanadu" could be an even more dazzling spectacle than its original incarnation.

Best of all, a modern maximalist "Xanadu" remake would show all those dreary "modern" musical movies the rich visual possibilities of this genre. We need more "Xanadu" mayhem in this genre and fewer "Joker: Folie à Deux" disasters.

Today, 1996's "Dragonheart" is considered a cult classic and one of the 50 movies about dragons you need to see. Universal Pictures has certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of this property, given that the studio has made four direct-to-video follow-ups to the original "Dragonheart." However, there's still glaring artistic flaws with this production, a fact especially apparent to Patrick Read Johnson, who penned the film's original screenplay (he only received a "Story By" credit in the final film). Among the many alterations to the saga of dragon Draco (Sean Connery) and human Sir Bowen (Dennis Quaid) that Johnson despised was the removal of any nuance or compelling drama in the human characters, who were all incredibly arch in the final film.

Remaking "Dragonheart" closer to his original vision is something Johnson has constantly talked about with enthusiasm. Certainly, there's something to the idea of remaking a movie that had a cool core concept but didn't hit its full potential. Whether it's Johnson stepping behind the camera or somebody else, a new "Dragonheart" incanration would undoubtedly benefit from having a better director than the original film's helmer. Rob Cohen. This filmmaker responsible for "xXx," "The Boy Next Door," "Stealth" and so many other clunkers zapped this production of its energy from the get-go.

With a better filmmaking steering the "Dragonheart" ship, not to mention a more consistent and weighty tone, this property could finally live up to all the potential Johnson imbued into his initial draft.

The original "Magic Bedknob" and "Bonfires and Broomsticks" children's books by Mary Norton were first published in the 1940s and existed separate from the P.L. Travers "Mary Poppins" books. However, Disney's 1971 adaptation of the Norton texts, entitled "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," was clearly trying to ape the style and success of 1964's "Mary Poppins." The "what would Walt do?" mantra guided all corners of the Disney empire after Walt Disney's passing and that extended to motion picture endeavors like "Bedknobs and Broomsticks." This feature even contained a lengthy set piece where the live-action human characters traveled to an animated world, just like in "Mary Poppins."

Decades later, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" could have a chance to be adapted once more, but this time as a project with more of an identity than "we have 'Mary Poppins' at home." A blueprint for how to remake this fantasy feature can be found in another update of a live-action 70s Disney movie: "Pete's Dragon." That 2016 David Lowery directorial effort just took the title and starting concept of the original Disney musical before making a deeply moving standalone exercise. The result was one of summer 2016's best movies. 

Going the same route for a new "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" movie would be a boon on multiple levels, including in offering moviegoers something they already haven't seen and avoiding the exact same problem plaguing all live-action Disney remakes. Plus, "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" could finally have a cinema-based identity that isn't rooted in "Mary Poppins."

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was one of the best reviewed movies of 2008 and the recipient of countless Oscar nominations. Unfortunately, the movie itself was a slog, a rare pre-Netflix misfire for director David Fincher. Despite its intriguing high-concept premise promising something deeply specific, the final version of "Benjamin Button" came off as domestic distributor Paramount Pictures wanting to fuse together pieces of two of its biggest hits. Specifically, "Benjamin Button" is just the tragic romance of "Titanic" stitched together with the "one guy wanders through multiple decades of history" conceit from "Forrest Gump."

Constantly reminding audiences of other movies doesn't help "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" stand on its own two feet. Amplifying the film's problems is that the CG effects turning back the clock on Brad Pitt's Benjamin Button stand out as a glaringly obvious example of de-aging technology missing the mark in movies. F. Scott Fitzgerald's original 1922 "Curious Case of Benjamin Button" short story had both a wryer sense of humor and a killer starting concept that deserve a better movie. Remaking this title into something more whimsical and comedic that lets human performers inhabit Button at different stages of life could finally unlock the fullest potential of this saga.

Despite "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" enjoying a revered reputation in 2008, the passage of time has made it clear there's plenty of ways a remake could excel where this Fincher title floundered.