Hollywood Remaking

Remakes, frankly, are nothing new in Hollywood. They have been occurring ever since the days of classic Hollywood, with several well-known and beloved classics indeed being remakes. What is old is new again with technological advances and changes in available talent, from silents to sound films and new talent acquisitions being showcased after former contract players departed. To this day, remakes persist and often have an air of controversy about them.

Hollywood Remaking: How Film Remakes, Sequels, and Franchises Shape Industry and Culture by Kathleen Loock offers a fascinating exploration of the remake trend and justifies its importance to the film industry. Loock supports her claims through qualitative and quantitative data surrounding remake output, reception, and influence. Moreover, she details several examples of films that have been remade or retooled over the years, from the classic to the contemporary.

This book is highly recommended to fans of classic Hollywood with a keen eye for comparing remakes.


Hollywood Remaking: How Film Remakes, Sequels, and Franchises Shape Industry and Culture is available through University of California Press.

About Annette Bochenek

Dr. Annette Bochenek of Chicago, Illinois, is an avid scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the Hometowns to Hollywood blog, in which she writes about her trips exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the “Hometowns to Hollywood” film series throughout the Chicago area. She has been featured on Turner Classic Movies and is the president of TCM Backlot’s Chicago chapter. In addition to writing for TCM Backlot, she also writes for Classic Movie Hub, Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, and Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine.
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