From “Annie” to “Star Wars”: 10 Hollywood Makeovers

10 remakes and revamps worth getting excited about.

When it comes to Hollywood, everything old can be remade anew.

That's certainly the case with recent news of "Rainbow Brite" and "Jem and the Holograms" being revamped for modern audiences, "Labyrinth" getting a sequel (sadly only a rumor) and the first glimpse of a re-imagined "Thunderbirds" (no longer with strings attached).

For those quick to shout, "No! How dare they ruin what was already great!" It's hard to ignore the success already this year of rebooted versions of "Rosemary's Baby" (transported to Paris and transferred to the small screen), "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (Michelangelo and Donatello got the CGI treatment and became one of Halloween's most popular costumes) and yet another sequel to an already reworked Spider-Man franchise.

And who would lament a further installment of "Star Wars" starring the original leads, or a return visit to "Jurassic Park" featuring Chris Pratt and the latest in computer generated imagery?

Here are 10 upcoming reboots, refreshes, remakes or reimaginings (call them what you will) to get excited about:

"Rainbow Brite"

The iconic 1980s cartoon returns to Feeln for a limited series run on November 6, with Emily Osment voicing the titular character who is on a quest to save Rainbowland from dark powers. Molly Ringwald provides the voice of the evil Dark Princess. Starlite and the Color Kids are also along for the ride. The original version ran from 1984 to 1986.

"Jurassic World"

Steven Spielberg helmed the first "Jurassic Park" back in 1993 and it spawned two sequels. There's been rumors of a fourth installment since "Jurassic Park 3" roared into cinemas in 2001. Colin Trevorrow ("Safety Not Guaranteed") is directing the latest chapter which is set 22 years after the first movie and according to the official synopsis, "Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond," where staff conduct "behavioral research on the Velociraptors. After many years, Jurassic World’s attendance rates begin to decline and a new attraction, created to re-spark visitor interest, gravely backfires." Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are the leads and the film is set to bite into the box office on June 12, 2015.

"Thunderbirds Are Go"

The iconic British series from the 1960s featured marionettes and complex miniature sets and rescue crafts. The show follows the adventures of International Rescue, a group set up by ex- astronaut Jeff Tracy, his five sons, who pilot the Thunderbird craft, and London Agent Lady Penelope (to be voiced by "Gone Girl's" Rosamund Pike in the revamp). 26 half-hour episodes of "Thunderbirds Are Go!" have been made, this time featuring a mix of computer generated imagery and miniatures in an effort to retain the style of the original. One episode was screened in October at the MIP Junior Television Industry Conference in Cannes to tease the return, which is set for a spring 2015 premiere on British television. No U.S. release date has been announced.

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"Jem and the Holograms"

Universal Studio's live action adaptation of the beloved 1980s cartoon will hit theaters on October 23, 2015, and like the source material will focus on Jerrica Benton and her musical alter ego Jem who transitions from small-town girl to international superstar. "Nashville" actor Aubrey Peeples is Benton/Jem, with a supporting cast featuring Stefanie Scott, Aurora Perrineau, and Hayley Kiyoko as the Holograms, along with Ryan Guzman. Molly Ringwald and Juliette Lewis also appear.

"Annie"

Quvenzhané Wallis ("Beasts of the Southern Wild") tackles the role of the singing orphan who melts the heart of a hard-nosed billionaire in this big screen update of the classic stage musical and 1982 movie adaptation. Left by her parents as a baby at a New York City orphanage with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, Annie must outwit horrible foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz stepping in for the earlier movie's Carol Burnett), and charm New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) who makes a thinly-veiled campaign move by taking Annie in. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale also star in this modern-day retelling of a hard knock life turned sunny that hits theaters just in time for Christmas on December 19.

"Ghostbusters"

Along with "Terminator" (see below), "Ghostbusters" celebrated its 30th anniversary this year and as a gift to fans Sony Pictures is bring the franchise out of retirement for a reboot. If that's not enough to get loyalists shouting "Who You Gonna Call?", director Paul Feig took to Twitter on October 8 to announce his involvement with the project and this time around, the movie will star "hilarious women." Cue the rumors and let the lobbying begin with Hollywood stars including Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig already on audience's wish lists of who should step into the paranormal-hunting shoes of Venkman, Stantz and Spengler. Shooting is tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2015.

"Star Wars: Episode VII"

By the time the latest outing of the "Star Wars" franchise hits cinemas on December 18, 2015, more than a decade will have passed since episode four ("Revenge of the Sith") came out of hyperspace starring Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Chistensen as young Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. In between, fans have had two animated TV series ("The Clone Wars" and 2014's "Star Wars: Rebels"), but nothing to match the excitement generated by the latest big screen addition helmed by J.J. Abrams ("Lost," the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot) that picks up 30 years after the end of the first trilogy (episode six: "Return of the Jedi") and features Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill reprising their iconic roles alongside new castmembers Gwendoline Christie, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o and Domhnall Gleeson. Little is known regarding plot or storyline, but fans have been treated to sneak peeks of the Millennium Falcon (with a Batman twist) and new creatures via social media-savvy Abrams. "Episode VII" lands December 18, 2015.

"Independence Day 2"

The 1996 original starred Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Randy Quaid, Mary McDonnell, Brent Spiner, James Duval and Vivica A. Fox. Due to hit screens in 2016, director Roland Emmerich is returning to helm the sequel and confirmed some of the original film's characters will be back, but not lead Smith. In an odd move Fox moved the release date for the film from the obviously perfect July 4 Holiday weekend to June 24, 2016. No reason was given.

"Terminator: Genisys"

Though James Cameron has no direct involvement in the latest reboot of the franchise he created 30 years ago with "Terminator," the director told Deadline he wanted to put in a good word for returning star Arnold Schwarzenegger and offered up some advice to the producer of the new film on how to deal with the actor's now advanced age (67). "I pointed out that the outer covering (of the Terminator) was actually not synthetic, that it was organic and therefore could age," Cameron said. "You could theoretically have a Terminator that was sent back in time, missed his target, and ended up just kind of living on in society. Because he is a learning computer and has a brain as a central processor he could actually become more human as he went along without getting discovered." "Terminator" and Schwarzenegger will be back July 1, 2015.

 
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Hasta la vista, baby. I want to thank the cast and crew of @TerminatorGenisys for a fantastic shoot. It was challenging, it was fun, and it was rewarding. From our director to the producers, from the camera team to catering, from visual effects to hair and makeup - we couldn't have done it without you. I can't wait to see our finished project and I know we'll remind the fans why they fell in love with the Terminator. On July 1, 2015, I'll be back.

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"Tarzan"

Warner Bros is bringing the famed swinger back to the big screen in a big-budget, live-action remake which stars "True Blood's" Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan/the Earl of Greystoke who, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment according to IMDB. Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Djimon Honsou and John Hurt also star in the film, which is set to be released on July 1, 2016.

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