It remains to be seen what the 2010s will be reminded for, but one interesting aspect of the previous decade’s identity was its love for nostalgia. Shows like Stranger Things fed off the audience’s fascination with the past while Hollywood brought back some beloved franchises for major comebacks.
While not every return to the past was welcomed, some of the decade’s biggest hits came from older properties that are remembered fondly. Fans may debate the merits of revisiting these films, but there’s no mistaking that they came back in a big way. Here are some nostalgic franchises that saw a comeback in the 2010s.
Rocky
Rocky is still remembered as one of the greatest, most inspirational sports films of all time. While some of the sequels have their fans, most people will agree that things got very silly and the series overstayed its welcome.
However, in 2015, the franchise saw a very unexpected return from an even more unexpected place. Ryan Coogler’s Creed revisiting the story focusing on Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) who seeks out Rocky Balboa to help him follow his father’s footsteps in the boxing world.
Star Wars
Star Wars was revisiting once before with George Lucas’ prequel trilogy which was largely derided by fans. Some wondered if we would ever return to a galaxy far, far away. But after Disney bought Lucasfilm, it wasn’t long before a new trilogy was launched.
The new adventures followed a new group of heroes, Rey, Finn, and Poe as they faced new (and old) threats while also meeting the heroes of the original trilogy. The trilogy was unsurprisingly a box office hit and helped launch a whole universe of Star Wars stories, even while being pretty divisive among fans.
The Shining
Stephen King has seen a big resurgence in popularity in recent years with several films and projects based on his books becoming huge hits. So it was only a matter of time before his most popular work, The Shining, was re-examined.
Though the 1980s film adaptation is iconic, King famously disliked it. However, he seemed to be behind Doctor Sleep, the recent take on the sequel story which finds an adult Danny Torrance trying to protect a young girl who has similar gifts as he does.
Planet Of The Apes
The Planet of the Apes franchise kicked off in 1968 with one of the most influential science fiction movies ever made. However, the rubber monkey masks may be a bit out-dated for modern audiences so the franchise was revisited using stunning motion capture technology.
Starting with The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, this prequel trilogy starred Andy Serkis as Caesar, the ape who led the revolt against the humans. The result was a fun, action-packed and astonishing series of films that broke new ground.
Jumanji
Though it was a massive hit in the 90s, the Robin Williams adventure film, Jumanji took a long time to get a sequel. It wasn’t until after the tragic death of Williams that Hollywood finally revisited the story of kids who become trapped inside a jungle adventure game.
This time around, the game was reimagined as a video game with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan playing avatars within the game. The new films have managed to bring back the fun of the original while adding a new twist.
Blade Runner
Star Wars wasn’t the only Harrison Ford science-fiction franchise that was revisited in the last decade. Blade Runner is an iconic film in which Ford played Rick Deckard, a cop hunting down replicants – humanoid robots – in the future.
Blade Runner 2049 revisited the futuristic world and starred Ryan Gosling as a replicant who hunts his own kind. However, he soon uncovers a shocking truth about his past which connects him to Deckard. The long-awaited sequel flopped at the box office but seems destined to gain a similar cult following as its predecessor.
Alien
While Ridley Scott saw another director continue his Blade Runner story, he decided to return to the franchise that helped kick off his career. Scott had directed the first Alien film, a franchise that continued on to great success without him then fizzled out.
Scott decided to explore the origins of the Xenomorphs in the 2012 film Prometheus followed by the sequel, Alien: Covenant. Though not as successful as the original, the films managed to reignite interest in the franchise.
Halloween
John Carpenter’s Halloween defined the slasher movie franchise and started a decade-long franchise. In 2018, director David Gordon Green revisited the series by ignoring most of what came before and making a direct sequel to the original film.
Set 40 years later, the movie follows the bloody rematch between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). The success of the new film helped start a new franchise which will continue with Halloween Kills and Halloween End.
Mad Max
The original Mad Max franchise offered some insane and hugely entertaining action stories. However, the last film in the franchise had been 30 years ago by the time Mad Max: Fury Road came around. Star Mel Gibson was replaced with Tom Hardy and the original director, George Miller was undertaking the ambitious film at the age of 70. It all seemed pretty risky.
However, all the naysayers were proven wrong by one of the best films of the decade. The non-stop action ride was inventive, surreal, and mind-blowing in what it was able to achieve. Fans are still eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs back to life for 1993’s Jurassic Park, one of the most successful and entertaining films of all time. However, the sequels failed to recapture the magic of that first trip to the dino infested island.
However, 2016’sJurassic Worldcame up with a clever way of breathing new life into the series – they opened the park. The sequel takes place years after the original with the island now a hugely successful dinosaur theme park. Of course, mayhem and carnage inevitably follow. The films have been massive hits and the new trilogy promises a big finale with original stars Sam Neil, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum returning for some of the fun.
