The art of making a good movie remake is incredibly challenging. The art of remaking a movie that was already great and managing to live up to its standards is even harder. Remaking exceptional classics isn’t something that artists and studios are often brave enough to do, but when they do, the results aren’t always ideal. Simply,some movies could never be topped by a remake.
These are films that could realistically get a remake at some point, but whatever comes from such a misguided effort could never hope to live up to the level of quality and timelessness of the original. Ranked from “very unlikely to be topped by a remake” to “absolutely impossible to be topped by a remake,” all ofthese movies are a standard of quality in their respective categories, and it’s always best to leave that kind of thing alone.
10’The Prince of Egypt' (1998)
Directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells
DreamWorks Animation broke onto the scene in 1998 with two films. The first was the less-than-greatAntz, and the second was what’s still by far one of their best outings: the Biblical musical epicThe Prince of Egypt, one ofthe greatest animated movies ever made. It’s an adaptation of the Exodus, retelling the tale of the Egyptian prince Moses learning of his Hebrew identity and his destiny to liberate his people.
Once upon a time, the idea of this movie being remade would have been preposterous. However, with DreamWorks crashing the party of live-action adaptations of animated movies with 2025’sHow to Train Your Dragon, the prospect is no longer wild in the slightest. The music, composed byHans Zimmerand with lyrics byWicked’sStephen Schwartz, is some of the most magical of any animated musical, and each musical number isfilled with the kind ofvisual charm that could never, ever be replicated by live-action.The Prince of Egyptis as engrossing as it is because of the medium through which it’s told, which a remake could never top.
The Prince of Egypt
9’It’s a Wonderful Life' (1946)
Directed by Frank Capra
Frank Caprawas one of the most distinct and rebellious directors of Hollywood’s Golden Age, constantly delivering some of the era’s best films, most of which have aged beautifully as beloved classics. Of these movies, the most popular is perhapsIt’s a Wonderful Life, the story of a frustrated banker visited by an angel who shows him what the world would have been like if he’d never been born.
The elements are all there for a studio to find the idea of remaking this movie enticing: It’sa beloved Christmas classicwhose appeal has plenty of evidence backing it up, with open room for a stunning lead performance and to update the movie’s very post-war-specific sentiments.It’s hard to imagine a remake having even half of the heartthat Capra’s classic has, however. Likewise,Jimmy Stewart’s performance is inimitably perfect, and the movie’s ’40s setting is pretty essential to its narrative.
It’s a Wonderful Life
8’The Birds' (1963)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Over thirty ofAlfred Hitchcock’s films, the Master of Suspense, have been remade (two of them by the man himself).Very rarely, however, have these remakes actually worked. A Hitchcock gem that remains untouched, though, isThe Birds, a horror drama about a small Northern California town that suddenly takes a turn for the bizarre when all kinds of birds suddenly go on a murderous rampage.
Its premise may sound silly, butThe Birdsisone of Hitchcock’s darkest films, as well as one of his most beloved. A remake of the moviehas actually been in the worksfor a very long time, but if it ever does come to fruition, it’s unlikely to have the kind of unbelievably strong sense of suspense and terror that only the Master of Suspense could ever achieve. Updated special effects aren’t really a strong enough excuse to remake one of the great American classics of the ’60s.
7’Blazing Saddles' (1974)
Directed by Mel Brooks
Nowadays, it’s a cliché as well-known as the film itself to say thatMel Brooks’sBlazing Saddles,the paragon of politically incorrect satires, could never be made today. This Western parody is about a corrupt politician who, in order to ruin a town and steal their land, appoints a Black sheriff who quickly becomes his most formidable adversary.
There’s definitely some truth to the claim that it’s hard to picture any movie studio daring to remakeBlazing Saddlestoday. At least, not with the level of political incorrectness that the iconic original has, which is too big a factor for its success to even warrant a remake to begin with; it would be pointless. Having one ofthe most fun Westerns of all timeright there at one’s disposal,why choose to stain its legacywith a remake that’s guaranteed not to be able to top it?
Blazing Saddles
6’Ran' (1985)
Directed by Akira Kurosawa
The Japanese auteurAkira Kurosawahas repeatedly been called the greatest filmmaker of all time, and for good reason. He made a shocking number of nearly flawless masterworks throughout his career, but for many, his best work remainsRan. This unique adaptation ofShakespeare’sKing Learis the tale of an elderly warlord from Medieval Japan who hands over his empire to his sons. However, he vastly underestimates how much their newfound power will corrupt them, turning them against each other—and him.
Kurosawa’s other flawless masterpiece,Seven Samurai, has already inspired plenty of movies to the point that some might be called remakes—and, indeed, none have been able to top it, so there’s ample proof there. But no filmmaker has been bold enough to remakeRanyet, and one can’t imagine the result being anything but inferior. Kurosawa’s magnum opus, permeated with his unique auteurial vision, isa parade of perfectly executed action, colors, and dramatic storytelling. You can’t compete with the master.
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5’The Princess Bride' (1987)
Directed by Rob Reiner
The Princess Brideshould need no introduction. Its hilarious sense of humor, many memorable characters, andWilliam Goldman’s pretty-much-perfect screenplay have built up a reputation that precedes it. It’s about a bedridden boy whose grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who faces numerous obstacles in his quest to be reunited with his true love.
The movie is incredibly sweet but never saccharine or fake. It’s funny, but it doesn’t sacrifice emotion for laughs. It’s exciting and action-packed while remaining an ideal watch for people of all ages.The Princess Bridehas become an iconic, endlessly-quoted cult classic withthe kind of legacy that a movie studio could never replicate artificially. It’s always better to leave movies as timeless and unproblematic as this one untouched.
The Princess Bride
4’Gone With the Wind' (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming
Despite all its controversies,Gone With the Windis still one ofthe most gargantuan and important cinematic achievements in history. It’s the turbulent love story of a manipulative Southern belle and a roguish profiteer whose romance rises as the society around them crumbles during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods. Almost everything about the movie, from its iconic performances to its beautiful visuals and riveting story, is exceptional.
There’s a lot aboutGone With the Windthat, unsurprisingly and quite infamously, hasn’t aged particularly well. On a superficial level, its melodramatic tone may take away a bit of appeal for some. More importantly, its romanticized depictions of race and the antebellum South have made it undeniably dated. As such, one can imagine a brave filmmaker taking on a remake of thisquintessential ’40s classic. But the fact of the matter is that, despite all its problems,Gone With the Windis still one of the greatest American films ever made. No modern movie could ever compete against its jaw-dropping scale and scope, sweeping CGI-less visuals, and the invaluable magic of the Classical Hollywood filmmaking style.
Gone with the Wind
3’Back to the Future' (1985)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
When the topic ofthe funniest sci-fi comediescomes up,Back to the Futurecan never be absent from the conversation. It’s about Marty McFly, a young high school student who’s close friends with the maverick and eccentric scientist Doc Emmet Brown. But when Doc’s time machine accidentally sends him 30 years into the past, Marty must find his way back to the future.
Another conversation thatBack to the Futureis never absent from is when people talk about movies that should never, ever be remade. Remakes are a good idea when they’re updating films that were never great, to begin with, or when there’s a lot of room for an interesting re-interpretation of the material. Neither of these conditions applies toRobert Zemeckis’s masterpiece.Back to the Futureis simple, funny, exciting, and emotional.It finds perfection in its simplicity, and there’s nothing about it that needs any kind of update.
Back to the Future
2’Citizen Kane' (1941)
Directed by Orson Welles
There’s no shortage of discussion on the matter, but when askedwhat the greatest film of all time is, many people are sure to reply withCitizen Kane.Orson Welles’s monumental big-screen debut was narratively and technically revolutionary in 1941, telling the story of a group of reporters scrambling to uncover the meaning of the enigmatic last word of a fearsome publishing tycoon.
It’s universally agreed thatCitizen Kaneis one of those movies that should never be touched, but it isn’t completely unimaginable that some studio exec with delusions of grandeur might think that they can put together a masterpiece that lives up to Welles’s magnum opus. It’s extremely unlikely, though.Citizen Kaneisone of the most flawless movies of all time, and its unique style is just as exciting today as it undoubtedly must have been back in the ’40s.There’s nothing a remake could do that could top it.
Citizen Kane
1’The Godfather' (1972)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
The movie that madeFrancis Ford Coppolaa household name was the same film that many consider the greatest ever made:The Godfather. Based onMario Puzo’s novel and with a screenplay penned by Puzo himself, it’s a gangster epic where the aging patriarch of a successful crime family has to transfer control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son.
The Godfatheristhequintessential crime movie, one ofthe most elegant, sophisticated, entertaining, and artful motion pictures ever put together. It’s the textbook definition of a perfect movie, and although the prospect of someone remaking it isn’t completely preposterous in today’s Hollywood landscape, it sure would be a wild and ultimately thankless idea.How can one top perfection?At least when it comes toThe Godfather, it’s hard to picture what anyone could do that could possibly deliver something better than this masterwork.
