Remake vs. Original: 8 Films That Outperformed Their Remakes at the Box Office

Movie fans and critics have strong opinions about film remakes.

A remake can either be a huge success or a complete failure. Filmmakers take a risk when they attempt to reimagine cherished stories that fans have cherished for decades. While some fans appreciate a fresh perspective on their favorite films, others prefer to leave them untouched.

It is challenging to determine which of the two versions is superior, as opinions vary widely.

While some remakes have surpassed the original movies in box office revenue, the debate over which is the "better" film will always persist, even when considering inflation.

Eight remakes performed worse than their original counterparts at the domestic box office.

In 2004, "Mean Girls" was released, featuring Lindsay Lohan as the new girl in school and Rachel McAdams as Regina George, the most popular girl in school. Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert portrayed Karen Smith and Gretchen Wieners, respectively.

The 2004 film is widely regarded as a cult classic, with its own celebrated day, Oct. 3, commemorating one of its most memorable scenes.

The book "Queen Bees and Wannabes" by Rosalind Wiseman served as the basis for the narrative in the film.

A new movie was being planned after a theatrical adaptation of the story was performed.

A second "Mean Girls" movie was released twenty years after the original, featuring songs from a hit Broadway musical.

The movie featuring Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auli'i Cravalho, Avantika Vandanapu, and Bebe Wood did not meet expectations.

According to Box Office Mojo, the original grossed $86,058,055 at the domestic box office. Today, it's valued at about $142,844,526, according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator.

The 2024 remake grossed $72,404,248 at the domestic box office, according to Box Office Mojo, falling short of the original movie's earnings without inflation taken into account.

Two "West Side Story" films have been inspired by "Romeo and Juliet," with the first musical adaptation starting in 1957.

In 1961, a musical movie was released featuring notable actors such as Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, George Chakiris, Russ Tamblyn, and Rita Moreno.

Despite low box office numbers, the movie was widely popular among critics and received 11 Oscar nominations. It won in all categories except one.

According to the U.S. Inflation Calculator, the movie grossed $44,055,492 at the domestic box office, which would equal about $461,990,348 today when adjusted for inflation.

In 2021, a remake was released, with big shoes to fill. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, starred Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as Tony and Maria.

The 2021 remake did not perform as well as the original film, earning $38,530,322 at the domestic box office, according to Box Office Mojo.

Two adaptations of "The Jungle Book" have been produced over the years: the first being an animated Disney movie released in 1967, and the second being a live action film that came out in 2016.

In 1967, the animated version of the movie grossed $141,843,612 domestically, which is equivalent to approximately $1,331,580,265 today.

The 2016 film grossed $602,549,477 internationally, while it did not perform as well domestically, with a gross of $364,001,123, according to Box Office Mojo.

The worldwide box office revenue of $966,550,600 for the movie still fell short of the original animated film when adjusted for inflation.

In 1977, the movie "Pete's Dragon" was released, featuring actors such as Sean Marshall, Mickey Rooney, Helen Reddy, and Shelley Winters.

According to Box Office Mojo, the Disney film made $39,588,000 domestically, which translates to approximately $204,830,663 in 2024.

In 2016, a new version of the movie came out, featuring Oakes Fegley, Robert Redford, and Bryce Dallas Howard among its actors.

The 2016 movie made $76,233,151 at the domestic box office on a $65,000,000 budget, but it fell short of the 1977 movie's earnings when adjusted for inflation.

Despite the release of various "Ghostbusters" movies since 1984, none have achieved the same level of success as the original film.

The original "Ghostbusters" team, consisting of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, starred in the first of two movies released in 1984.

The 1984 movie made $243.58 million at the domestic box office, which is equivalent to $735.07 million today.

The second installment of the Ghostbusters franchise, released in 1989, did not perform as well as the first movie, grossing $112,494,738 at the domestic box office, which is equivalent to approximately $284,455,646 today.

An all-female supernatural fighting crew consisting of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones starred in the first "Ghostbusters" reboot, which was released in 2016.

In 2016, this movie grossed $128,350,574 at the box office, which is significantly lower than what the original movie would have made today.

In 2021, a new "Ghosbusters" movie was released, featuring Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard.

The 2017 movie had the same box office success as the 2016 film, earning $129,360,575 domestically, according to Box Office Mojo.

In March 2024, a new film titled "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" was released, following the storyline of the 2021 movie. Despite its release in 2024, the movie grossed only $113,020,051 domestically, falling short of the impressive numbers achieved by the original film.

In 1984, the action-packed film "Red Dawn" was released, featuring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen.

According to Box Office Mojo, the movie made $38,376,497 at the domestic box office, which is equivalent to $115,812,068 today.

In 2012, a remake was released featuring Chris Hemsworth, Josh Peck, and Josh Hutcherson. Despite grossing $44,806,783 domestically, according to Box Office Mojo, the movie would only generate about $61,190,959 in 2024 with inflation considered, falling short of the original film's box office numbers when adjusted for inflation.

Keanu Reeves joined Swayze in "Point Break," which is another movie that has been remade.

With inflation, the 1991 film's domestic box office gross would be approximately $99,493,677 today.

In 2015, a remake was released in theaters, earning only $28,782,481 at the domestic box office, despite having a budget of $105,000,000. However, the movie managed to gross $133,782,481 worldwide, which was slightly above its budget.

In 1982, "Conan the Barbarian" was released, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and it grossed $39,565,475 at the domestic box office, which is equivalent to approximately $128,556,223 in 2024.

In 2011, Jason Momoa replaced Schwarzenegger in the role he played, which was years before he portrayed Aquaman.

Despite earning $21,295,021 domestically and $42,228,262 internationally, the 2011 movie failed to perform well across the board with its box office numbers, falling short of its $90,000,000 budget.