Going 'Overboard': Hollywood's glut of gender-swap remakes

From the polarizing "Ghostbusters" remake to the controversy over female versions of James Bond and Doctor Who, Hollywood's proclivity for gender-swapped retreads is among its most enduring and contentious.

Doctor Who is made by the BBC, not Hollywood.

And men, don't panic. You'll still get to objectify, harass and demean women for years to come.

From the polarizing "Ghostbusters" remake to the controversy over female versions of James Bond and Doctor Who, Hollywood's proclivity for gender-swapped retreads is among its most enduring and contentious.

As TH said, Doctor Who is a British TV programme made by the BBC, nothing to do with Hollywood. The over hyped 'controversy' came from the usual suspects, fanboys who think they are the sole owners of the characters. Same sort of attitutude is seen in society and businesses, by men who don't want women in 'their' territory.

Gender swapping movies = no new ideas.

If they're going to remake these movies anyway, they might as well try to make them as different as possible from the originals.

The Ghostbusters remake didn't suck because it was women, it sucked because the script/story was bad.

Hey hollywood, enough with the remakes, how about making original stuff?

Hey hollywood, enough with the remakes, how about making original stuff?

Right. I hate being forced to go to the theater and watch movies I'm not interested in, and had no intention of ever seeing. They need to stop making me spend money on that.

The Ghostbusters remake didn't suck because it was women, it sucked because the script/story was bad.

Exactly, great director and cast but the script just didn't deliver.

The modern woman keeps tell us they are as capable as men - if that's the case how come they cant come up with original ideas and make original movies - still riding on the backs of mens achievements.

Exactly, great director and cast but the script just didn't deliver.

Personally, I liked it. I went with my daughter, she laughed, I laughed. It was a good night at the movies.

It's been quite a while since Hollywood turned out anything worth watching.

Kick out the psychs. Kick out the market analysis. Just make movies with GOOD stories, and GOOD acting.

Meh. Just another excuse not to waste my time watching Hollywood movies.

What with Steam available, why would any guy bother ;)

The modern woman keeps tell us they are as capable as men - if that's the case how come they cant come up with original ideas and make original movies - still riding on the backs of mens achievements.

To be fair it sounds like Hollywood can’t come up with any original ideas or make original movies regardless of gender.

They should do more remakes of foreign films castimg actors and actresses with capped teeth and sunbed tans with a liberal pinch of sugar.

They are remaking Willy Wonka a THIRD time next year, they are giving Jared Leto (the worst Joker in history) his own movie.. Yep I would say the Hollywood elite are fresh out of ideas. Complete garbage

'Ghostbusters' Mach 2015 was a bust not because of the all-woman cast. It was a dud-bomb because it was 'Ghostbusters' in name only. I saw 2 trailers and didn't go see it because it had nothing to do with the original, with none of the humor. None! It's not very interesting. Besides, the original film had a major female character with Sigourney Weaver, so what's the complaint?

Hollywood keeps on shoveling the same old ideas and garbage and slapping labels of old classics on them - let me fill them in, it doesn't work. I liked the 1989 Batman movie but each sequel got suckier than the previous. How many times have there been Batman movies, with story lines completely deviated from previous incarnations? No more reincarnations.  'Yep I would say the Hollywood elite are fresh out of ideas. Complete garbage', you are right Dango bong. And the same goes for TV, music and other 'entertainment', fashion, trends, ideas, and POLITICS in America for the past 20, 25, 30 years. Clones! (scream) .    Gimme originality now!!!

Some movies are flexible/adaptable in removing/adding core charachters. Adding more Ghostbusters to the team doesn't detract from the story or cause confusion (or downright impossibility). Telling a new tale to the Oceans' series, no issue.

Why can't a woman be Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Jack Reacher, or Spiderman? Because they were always men. These are gender specific characters within the movie. Terminator - can be male or female (and have been) because it's varying models of robots which can mimic men and women. Karate Kid - can be male and female (and has been). Julie was not Daniel. Two totally different people. And Spiderman is not a group of Spider people who are part of a collective.

Create characters for women. They can be soft and vulnerable. Tough and badass. But for Christ's sake, get over this PC BS.

'Ghostbusters' Mach 2015 was a bust not because of the all-woman cast. It was a dud-bomb because it was 'Ghostbusters' in name only. I saw 2 trailers and didn't go see it because it had nothing to do with the original, with none of the humor. None! It's not very interesting.

Oh dear. Didn't see it. Yet knows everything about it.

I don't care who is in a movie, but it has to be actually good.

I gave the new Ghostbusters a chance because I am a huge fan of the original, but it was just a terrible, unfunny movie. I didn't like the characters because they were unlikable, not because they were women.

I just watched Annihilation over the weekend and it was really good. All female main cast and great movie. (check it out if you want some thought-provoking sci-fi, IMO. A few gruesome scenes though, so be warned.)

Ocean's 8 doesn't look bad, but it just doesn't interest me. Of course there are the vocal sexists out there but it is not the majority. The media needs to stop blaming a movie's failure on the gender of the cast.

Hello. I like the Ghostbusters ( 2016) film. :)

I just watched Annihilation over the weekend and it was really good. All female main cast and great movie. (check it out if you want some thought-provoking sci-fi, IMO. A few gruesome scenes though, so be warned.)

I liked that as well.

Remakes in general pretty bad and should be banned along with prequels and most sequels that are not part of a trilogy.

The fact that some of these remakes are done under the guise of empowerment just makes them that much more of a joke. Seriously, did anyone really think that the Ghostbusters was really necessary? What kind of looney toon fairy land do these people live in? SMH

Ya guys should subscribe to streaming like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, etc.

That's where they're pushing the envelope