Raelene Kajkowski  |  Contributing Writer

Throughout the centuries, Hollywood has made it a custom to remake, reboot or add sequels to an original film or series. A film is an artistic way to tell a story, and storytelling involves the interaction of many different people being told a story and retelling it. It is through a creative interpretation that the retold stories flourish.

Yet, does retelling the stories take away from the original masterpiece? Taking a look at some of the best alterations to original Hollywood films throughout the last few years and some of the upcoming remakes and sequels may help to determine whether or not Hollywood should continue the mass production of remakes and sequels or leave the originals as they are.

While remaking a film, the original content remains the same, whereas in a reboot, the characters or main ideas stay true but the plot and storyline may change.

“A remake can offer a new perspective of the same story that can be equally important as the original idea,” says Eric Alvirez, a film major at APU. “However, I think that remakes run the risk of just becoming redundant and don’t really bring anything new to the table. If a remake can bring a fresh perspective and new ideas, then I’m all for it. If it can’t, what is the point in retelling a story that may already be good as it is?”

In 2001, Tim Burton took a chance by remaking the iconic 1968 science-fiction film “Planet of the Apes,” with the new one starring Mark Wahlberg. Although it won the Special Makeup Effects honor at the 2002 Hollywood Guild awards, it only received a 5 out of 10 review on the Internet Movie Database.

Ten years later, the film was recreated and rebooted by director Rupert Wyatt, using a different angle to tell the story. The film remained science fiction; however, it was fit into a modern-day context set in the heart of San Francisco. Starring James Franco, Wyatt’s version of the film brought in $176 million, rose to an 8 out of 10 rating on IMDb and has continued with subsequent sequels such as “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” Guess one could say, “Third time’s a charm.”

An effective reboot that has brought about many sequels and gained a huge franchise is the “Dark Knight” trilogy. All directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale as Batman, the “Dark Knight” trilogy estimated an average of 8.5 out of 10 rating and brought box office revenues over $3 billion, according to Screenrant.

Alvirez believes the “Dark Knight” trilogy brought a “new, very relevant, and powerful light on a very old character” and made the future superhero genre more compelling to audiences.

“I think if you are going to reboot something, it should make a difference in the world around it. Not simply rehash old things, but make them new,” says Alvirez.

One recent remake that did this was the 2013 film “The Great Gatsby,” an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel to the screen. Receiving a 7 out of 10 on IMDb and the Oscar in Production and Costume Design, the Baz Luhrmann-directed film was a Hollywood blockbuster.

“The Great Gatsby was a great remake because it encompassed the visual advancement of our generation,” says Andrew Tang, a film major at Cal State Northridge. “It showcased some of the greatest actors of our time and did a more efficient adaptation of the original novel.”

“I find remakes a great representation of the different eras of film. However, the main thing is they must stay true to the story. It takes different point of views and approaches to a story that, as a result, puts out a different-feeling but familiar film,” says Tang.

Some of the upcoming remakes and reboot films to look forward to, according to IMDb, are “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Jurassic World,” “Goosebumps,” “Scarface,” “Fantastic Four” and Stephen King’s ‘90s thriller, “It.”

“I’m not looking forward to any remake at this moment,” says Gustavo Navarro, a student at Moorpark College. “I do think there should be a sequel on ‘The Incredibles,’ though.”

Although remaking, rebooting and creating sequels of original Hollywood films can be a hit or miss, those that are a hit can create long-lasting fans.