Beyond 'Ghostbusters': These old movies need a gender reboot

February 2, 2015 at 2:48PM
Melissa McCarthy, right.
Melissa McCarthy, right. (Warner Bros. Entertainment/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Anything a man can do, a woman can do better. At least, that's what we're anticipating from the just-announced all-female cast of the new "Ghostbusters" movie.

The shake-up got us thinking: What other dusty old movies could use a gender reboot? Ditch the male leads for women, or vice versa. Could be fun.

Of course, this tactic hasn't always worked. Remember "The Karate Kid 4" with Hilary Swank? Yeah, no one else does either.

But the female "Ghostbusters" shows promise (especially with Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig signed on). A good reboot happens when the franchise has either grown stale (think "Spider-yawn") or decades have passed since the beloved classic was first released (a la "Ghostbusters").

Hollywood would be smart to relaunch the following movies with these gender switcheroos:

Animal House

The switch: Easy. Set the frat comedy classic in a sorority house.

The cast: Instead of John Belushi, bring in Melissa McCarthy. "College" will never be the same.

Charlie's Angels

The switch: Swapping genders might not sound that revolutionary. After all, there are plenty of dudes fighting crime. But imagine Charlie as a woman.

The cast: Helen Mirren bossing around her Angels — Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Idris Elba — sounds like way too much fun.

Lethal Weapon

The switch: Did this buddy-cop franchise really need three sequels starring crazy Mel Gibson and stoic Danny Glover? A strong pair of ladies could revitalize the series.

The cast: Angelina Jolie doesn't really have to stretch to play "crazy," and haven't you always wanted to see Oprah blow stuff up?

Sex and the City

The switch: Simply changing the fab foursome to a cast of straight guys sounds like a bore of a "Hangover" sequel. But make the four friends a group of dashing gay men and let the fun commence.

The cast: Any chance Benedict Cumberbatch could play all four roles?

The Fugitive

The switch: Recasting the roles in this cat-and-mouse blockbuster hinges on who could replace the curmudgeon king, Tommy Lee Jones. (The Harrison Ford role is really an afterthought.)

The cast: Tilda Swinton could embody the steely grumpiness even better than Jones.

Scarface

The switch: Hollywood loves remaking over-the-top '80s movies. So why hasn't this movie been rebooted yet?

The cast: Goodbye Al Pacino, enter Sofía Vergara. Just imagine her yelling "Say hello to my little friend!"

Silence of the Lambs

The switch: The sequels ("Red Dragon" and "Hannibal") were meh. A good reboot might save the Lamb legacy.

The cast: Meryl Streep as Dr. Lector. Boom. Done. It doesn't even matter who plays agent Starling.

Tom Horgen on Twitter: @tomhorgen


Melissa McCarthy arrives at the People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theatre on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)
Melissa McCarthy (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
John Belushi stars in the 1978 (or 1979) movie "Animal House," (actually "National Lampoon's Animal House"). File photo courtesy of Universal City Studios.
John Belushi in “Animal House.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
FILE - In this June 17, 2011 file photo, actress Helen Mirren poses at the opening of the 90th season of the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Gray heads have been popping up on runways and red carpets, on models and young celebrities for months. There's Lady Gaga and Kelly Osbourne _ via dye _ and Hollywood royalty like Oscar-winning British actress Helen Mirren. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, file)
Helen Mirren (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Shown are three stars from the television show DYNASTY -- from left to right, Joan Collins, John Forsythe, and Linda Evans. File photo.
Sorry, John Forsythe: Helen Mirren could handle her own angels. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2012 file photo, Angelina Jolie attends the news conference of the film In the Land of Blood and Honey at the 62 edition of the Berlinale, International Film Festival in Berlin. Jolie is turning wicked as one of Disney's most-famous villains in "Maleficent," a live-action twist on "Sleeping Beauty" that's set for a March 14, 2014 release, Walt Disney Studios announced Monday, April 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
Angelina Jolie (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Danny Glover and Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon"
Angelina Jolie in Mel Gibson’s “Lethal” role? (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 1, 2014 file photo, actor Benedict Cumberbatch poses for photographers upon his arrival at the world premiere of the film The Hobbit, The Battle of the Five Armies in London. Benedict Cumberbatch says he was an "idiot" to refer to non-white actors as "colored." In a statement Monday Jan. 26, 2015 Cumberbatch apologized for his "thoughtless use of inappropriate language." (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
In this image released by New Line Cinema, Sarah Jessica Parker stars as Carrie Bradshaw in New Line Cinema's "Sex in the City". (AP Photo/New Line Cinema,Craig Blankenhorn) ** NO SALES ** ORG XMIT: NYET291
Benedict Cumberbatch could fill SJP’s heels. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Tilda Swinton arrives at the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Tilda Swinton (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Tommy Lee Jones stars as U.S. Marshal Sam Gerard in the movie "The Fugitive." ORG XMIT: MIN2013011817070148
Tilda Swinton could channel Tommy Lee Jones’ U.S. marshal. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Sofia Vergara, an Emmy nominee for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "Modern Family," is interviewed at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards Performers Nominee Reception, Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, in Los Angeles. The Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Sofia Vergara (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Al Pacino in "Scarface"
Sofia Vergara would make a beautiful addition to “Scarface.” (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Actress Meryl Streep arrives for the premiere of Into The Woods at a central London venue, London, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. (Photo by Jonathan Short/Invision/AP)
Meryl Streep (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
(left to right) Anthony Heald and Anthony Hopkins star in the 1991 movie "The Silence of the Lambs." Handout file photo courtesy of Orion Pictures.
Fans would eat up Meryl Streep in Anthony Hopkins’ role. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
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about the writer

Tom Horgen

Assistant Managing Editor/Audience

Tom Horgen is the Assistant Managing Editor/Audience, leading the newsroom to build new, exciting ways to reach readers across all digital platforms.

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