Why do people—or in this case, Hollywood companies—think they need to fix things that are not broken? When it comes to the possibility of remaking the classic film “The Princess Bride”, there are two reasons: Hollywood is greedy, and they are running out of ideas. This staple in the film industry is beyond amazing; it definitely does not need to be redone and potentially ruin the franchise’s name.
For those unaware, “The Princess Bride” is a fantastic 1987 motion picture following the challenges, adventures and humor in finding true love. Robin Wright and Cary Elwes played the main characters, Buttercup and Westley, who try to find their way back together with the help of some unexpected friends. With so many classic quotes like “My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die,” and “Inconceivable!” this film is already iconic and there is no need to recreate this original masterpiece.
Not to mention, this film is based on an adventurous romantic comedy novel published in 1973. Even more reason to not remake it; the movie is already a slight variation of the book, so it does not need to be altered a third time.
After hearing the rumors of a remake, leading man Elwes put a spin on one of his lines from the movie to express his opinion in a tweet: “There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one.”
Cue a virtual round of applause for his subtle sassiness.
Even the slightest thought of reproducing this film is outrageous. Many have watched this movie for as long as they can remember, making a simple solution to deciding what movie to watch with family or friends.
Do not mess with perfection.
As a compromise to redoing a fan favorite, maybe the production company could make a sequel. That way there is no one trying to replace the brilliance of the original actors and story. Although a sequel would come out close to thirty-five years after the first, if it sucks, oh well. At least it will become a laughable, forgettable movie instead of ruining the name of the original.
One main reason there cannot be a remake of this story is that a few of the amazing actors who provided epic quotes, scenes and narrations are no longer with us. For instance, someone cannot replace the incomparable André the Giant who played Fezzik. Due to his massive size, André sadly died at the age of 46, but people will never forget his immense talent and lovable charm.
Other famous voices such as Peter Falk, who is reading the story to his grandson, and Peter Cook, the clergyman with his unforgettable phrase, “Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday”—are irreplaceable.
Growing up in Southern California, my brother and I had a blast searching the area for filming locations, and movies will always be one of my favorite ways to relax. My family and I still enjoy watching many classic tales together like “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid”. These, along with “The Princess Bride”, are classics that families cherish and money-hungry industries should not replace them. Therefore, there should not be a remake of “The Princess Bride”, but instead, a whole new story, able to capture audiences with the same passion as this one did.
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox
After Sony Pictures Entertainment chief executive Tony Vinciquerra mentioned the idea of a “The Princess Bride ” reboot to Variety in a profile on the film s executive producer, Norman Lear, people on Twitter were quick to respond.