If there was ever a movie that never needed a sequel, remake or reboot, then a little 1993 movie about a Jamaican bobsled team competing in the 1988 Olympic Games is that movie. See, even based on just that line, everyone knows the film in question is the beloved John Candy comedy, Cool Runnings. Yet, according to insider Daniel Richtman, there is a plan being put into place to develop a new Cool Runnings movie that will focus on the story of an all-female bobsleigh team. Cue the eyerolls.
Cool Runnings is loosely based on the real events that saw Jamaica enter a team in the bobsleigh event at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Canada. Although the movie’s heartwarming story is a fictionalized account of the story, the tale of perseverance and adversity against the odds, combined with a brilliantly flawed performance by the late John Candy in one of his last roles, has turned it into a timeless classic in the last 30 years.
According to Richtman, Disney’s endless quest to regurgitate and renew all of their previous hits has now led them to Cool Runnings – a movie that stands on its merits today every bit as much as it did three decades ago. The idea of reimagining the story in a completely fictional way, and incorporating an all-female main cast in the process, is something that has already received the expected reaction online.
One comment on X said, “This shouldn’t get a sequel. The original is a classic.” Another user shared an image of the 2016 Ghostbusters movie and simply said, “Remember how well this one did?” A third added, “Disney must be laundering money because there is no way anyone thinks this would be profitable.”
Why Remaking ‘Cool Runnings’ is the Worst Idea
Disney
While many online criticisms of what is currently just a rumor that Cool Runnings is getting a genderswapped remake/sequel focus on “woke” outrage, the reasons why it is a bad idea don’t even need to get that far to hit a huge roadblock.
Cool Runnings was based on a true story, and even if the film plays fast and loose with the facts – everything from the origin of the “runners” to the way they were perceived at the Olympics – it is that sense that this story did happen that makes it more than just another underdog sports movie. It holds an 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and is beloved for being one of the last, and best, performances by John Candy.
Trying to compete with a classic movie like that, which does not have dated special effects and would not feel any benefit from advanced technology, seems like throwing money away. Disney’s recent history with backlash over movies such as Snow White and other old animated movies should be reason enough to slow down with the unnecessary remakes, not add even more to the slate.
For now, the idea of a new Cool Runnings project is just a rumor. Although Richtman is one of the more reliable industry insiders, there are many people who are hoping this is one instance when he is completely off the mark.
Release Date
October 1, 1993
Runtime
98 minutes
Writers
Lynn Siefert, Michael Ritchie, Tommy Swerdlow, Michael Goldberg
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