This just in: Today in New York City, our Moviefone colleague Kevin Polowy attended the Disney/Pixar Animation Presentation hosted by Dick Cook and John Lasseter. Apparently, a whole handful of new, upcoming titles were announced -- some of which we've known about and some brand new. Additionally, they screened 30 minutes of WALL-E footage and announced that Sigourney Weaver would do a voice in the film. Kevin reported back, saying the footage "looked really strong, and turned this skeptic into a believer." (I don't know how Kevin was worried about this one; it's just too damn adorable.) Aside from WALL-E, here are highlights of what else was announced:- Up will follow WALL-E for Pixar, featuring the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger and Jordan Nagai.
- Tinkerbell will go direct-to-DVD, followed by three sequels. So four Tinkerbell films all together.
- Rapunzel is back! Not only that, but the classic story will be done in full CGI.
- King of the Elves is another film coming from Disney animation in 2012, and it's based on a Phillip K. Dick story.
- Toy Story and Toy Story 2 to be released in 3-D in 2009 and 2010.
- Toy Story 3 hits theaters on June 18, 2010
- Newt will be Pixar's film in 2011, and it comes with this description: "What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can't stand each other?
- Cars 2 coming in 2012!
UPDATE: Full press release after the jump, including more titles from Disney animation ...
DISNEY'S 'FAIRIES' DIRECT-TO-DVD FRANCHISE WILL ALSO DEBUT
NEW YORK, April 8, 2008 /PRNewswire/ -- The Walt Disney Studios unveiled a diverse and ambitious slate of 10 new animated feature films from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios to be released through the year 2012 at a New York press conference held today by Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, and John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.
The line-up includes new films from Disney and Pixar's accomplished team of filmmakers, and features vocal performances by such top celebrity talents as John Travolta and Miley Cyrus ("Bolt"), Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson ("The Bear and the Bow"), Anika Noni Rose and John Goodman ("The Princess and the Frog"), as well as return engagements by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and the rest of the "Toy Story" vocal ensemble ("Toy Story 3"). The roster of new animated features includes six new films from Pixar Animation Studios, four from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and the first four in a series of direct-to-DVD films featuring Disney Fairies from DisneyToon Studios. Starting later this year with the release of Disney's "Bolt," all Disney and Pixar animated features will be presented in state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3-D(TM). Additionally, newly converted 3-D versions of the beloved classics, "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," are set to debut in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Among the upcoming animated films on the 2008 release schedule are "WALL*E" (Pixar) from Academy Award(R)-winning director/writer Andrew Stanton ("Finding Nemo") opening nationwide June 27th; "Bolt" (Disney) from the talented new directing team of Chris Williams and Byron Howard, due in theatres on November 26th; and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell," the first in a new franchise of original entertainment set in the world of Fairies, on October 28th. The Studio's 2009 animated slate includes the summer release of Pixar's first 3-D feature, "Up," from director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.") and co-director Bob Peterson, the Christmas Day release of Disney's original animated fairy tale "The Princess and the Frog" from acclaimed veteran Disney directors John Musker and Ron Clements ("The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin," "Hercules,") and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell North of Never Land" (working title). 2010 brings the highly anticipated return of Buzz and Woody in the Disney Digital(TM) 3D summer release of Pixar's "Toy Story 3" directed by Lee Unkrich ("Finding Nemo," "Monsters, Inc."); followed by the Christmas arrival of Disney's version of the classic fairy tale, "Rapunzel," featuring the directing debuts of animation legend Glen Keane and directing partner Dean Wellins, and the Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell A Midsummer Storm" (working title).
In the summer of 2011, Pixar's "newt" marks the directing debut of multiple Oscar(R)-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom. Christmas 2011 brings Pixar's first fairy tale, "The Bear and the Bow," from acclaimed filmmaker/writer Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt"). The Disney DVD and Blu-ray release of "Tinker Bell A Winter Story" (working title) also debuts in 2011. The year 2012 will mark the return of Lightning McQueen, Mater the tow truck, and an international cast of favorite and new car characters in Pixar's "Cars 2," directed by Brad Lewis (producer of "Ratatouille"). Scheduled for Christmas 2012 from Walt Disney Animation Studios is "King of the Elves," an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story, directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker ("Brother Bear").
Commenting on the announcement, Cook said, "We couldn't be more proud and excited about our upcoming line-up of feature projects. With so many great films literally on the drawing boards and computer screens, we felt that now was the perfect time to give moviegoers all over the world an update on the state of our art. In a year when our Studio is marking the 80th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, the character that started it all for us, it seems especially timely to share our plans for the future of animation. With John Lasseter and Ed Catmull guiding our creative efforts both at Emeryville and in Burbank, this is as exciting a time as any in our history."
Lasseter added, "This is an amazing time for animation at Disney and Pixar, and it's a thrill to be working on such a diverse and original group of films with such an all-star team of filmmakers. The thing I love best about my job is that I get to work at both Disney and Pixar with filmmakers who are passionate about their projects and who are the absolute best in the business. We're excited to be pushing the boundaries of 3-D and computer technology to tell our stories in the best possible way. At the same time, we're drawing on our past to emphasize memorable characters, original edge-of-your-seat stories, and believable worlds. Walt Disney and his creative team taught us how to blend comedy, powerful emotion, and action-filled excitement in our films, and this group of incredible filmmakers is bringing their own originality and sensibilities to the
process."
WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS/ PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS RELEASE SCHEDULE
2008 -- 2012:
2008:
WALL*E (Domestic Release Date: June 27th, 2008)
Pixar Animation Studios
Director/Screenwriter: Andrew Stanton
Producer: Jim Morris
Co-Producer: Lindsey Collins
Sound and Character Voice Designer: Ben Burtt
Composer: Thomas Newman, with an Original Song Performed by Peter Gabriel Voice Talent: Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, John
Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy
What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn off the
last robot?
Academy Award(R)-winning writer-director Andrew Stanton ("Finding
Nemo") and the inventive storytellers and technical geniuses at Pixar
Animation Studios transport moviegoers to a galaxy not so very far away for
a new computer-animated cosmic comedy about a determined robot named
WALL*E.
After hundreds of lonely years doing what he was built for, WALL*E
(short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new
purpose in life (besides collecting knick-knacks) when he meets a sleek
search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL*E has inadvertently
stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to
report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that
it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL*E chases EVE across the galaxy
and sets into motion one of the most incredible comedy adventures ever
brought to the big screen.
Joining WALL*E on his fantastic journey across a universe of
never-before-imagined visions of the future is a hilarious cast of
characters including a pet cockroach, and a heroic team of malfunctioning
misfit robots.
BOLT (Domestic Release Date: November 26th, 2008, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Producer: Clark Spencer
Voice Talent: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman
For super-dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), every day is filled with
adventure, danger and intrigue -- at least until the cameras stop rolling.
When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his
Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet
-- a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the
delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help
of two unlikely traveling companions -- a jaded, abandoned housecat named
Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman), and TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball
named Rhino -- Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero.
Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") brings her vocal talents to the role of
Penny, Bolt's human co-star on the television series.
TINKER BELL (Disney DVD and Blu-ray Release Date: October 28th, 2008)
DisneyToon Studios
Director: Bradley Raymond
Producer: Jeannine Roussel
Enter the magical world of fairies and meet the enchanting creatures of
Pixie Hollow, who "nurture nature" and bring about the change of the
seasons. Changing the colors of the leaves, moving a sunbeam to melt snow,
waking animals from their winter slumber, or giving a patch of sproutlings
a sprinkle of water are all within the realm of these seasonal specialists.
Tinker Bell thinks her fairy talent as a "tinker" isn't as special or
important as the other fairies' talents. But when Tink tries to change who
she is, she creates nothing but disaster! With encouragement from her
friends Rosetta, Silvermist, Fawn and Iridessa, Tink learns the key to
solving her problems lies in her unique tinker abilities ... and discovers
that when she's true to herself, magical things can happen.
2009:
UP (Domestic Release Date: May 29th, 2009, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Pete Docter
Co-Director: Bob Peterson
Producer: Jonas Rivera
Writer: Bob Peterson Voice Talent: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Jordan
Nagai
From the Academy Award(R)-nominated team of director Pete Docter
("Monsters, Inc.") and co-director Bob Peterson comes "Up," a comedic
adventure taking off (and lifting spirits) in summer 2009. Carl Fredricksen
spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life
to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a
twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named
Russell) gives him a new lease on life. "Up" takes audiences on a thrilling
journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains
and jungle creatures. When seeking adventure next summer -- look "Up."
TOY STORY in 3-D (Domestic Release Date: October 2nd, 2009)
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: John Lasseter
Producers: Ralph Guggenheim, Bonnie Arnold
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace
Shawn, John Ratzenberger
Originally released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1995, "Toy Story" was
the first feature film from Pixar Animation Studios and director John
Lasseter. The film went on to receive Oscar(R) nominations for Best
Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Original Screenplay, and
earned Lasseter a Special Achievement Award (Oscar(R)) "for the development
and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first
feature-length computer-animated film." The 3-D version of this landmark
film is being personally overseen by Lasseter with his acclaimed team of
technical wizards handling all the necessary steps in the conversion
process.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2009)
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Producer: Peter Del Vecho
Composer: Randy Newman
Voice Talent: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, John Goodman
A musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans, "The
Princess and the Frog" marks Disney's return to the timeless art form of
traditional animation. The film teams Ron Clements and John Musker,
creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin," with Oscar(R)-winning
composer Randy Newman to tell the most beautiful love story ever told ...
with frogs, voodoo, and a singing alligator.
TINKER BELL NORTH OF NEVER LAND - working title (Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Release Date: 2009)
DisneyToon Studios
Director: Klay Hall
Producer: Sean Lurie
In autumn, Tinker Bell is entrusted with crafting a great treasure that
can rejuvenate the Pixie Dust Tree. But when her friend Terence offers to
help, Tink's temper and stubbornness get the better of her, shattering both
her creation and her friendship with Terence. To set things right again,
she must embark on a journey far North of Never Land ... and along the way,
she will discover an even greater treasure.
2010:
TOY STORY 2 in 3-D (Domestic Release Date: February 12th, 2010)
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: John Lasseter
Co-Directors: Lee Unkrich, Ash Brannon
Producers: Helene Plotkin, Karen Robert Jackson
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don
Rickles, Estelle Harris, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger
Originally released in 1999, "Toy Story 2" went on to become one of the
most popular animated features of all time. The film picks up as Andy is
heading off to Cowboy Camp and the toys are left to their own devices. When
an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin (owner of Al's Toy Barn)
kidnaps Woody, and Woody learns that he's a highly valued collectable from
a 1950s TV show called "Woody's Roundup," the stage is set for a daring
rescue attempt by the gang from Andy's room. The film introduced such other
memorable characters from "Woody's Roundup" as Jessie the cowgirl, Bullseye
the horse, and the Prospector.
TOY STORY 3 (Domestic Release Date: June 18th, 2010, Disney Digital
3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Lee Unkrich
Producer: Darla K. Anderson
Writer: Michael Arndt
Composer: Randy Newman Voice Talent: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace
Shawn, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger, Ned Beatty
The creators of the beloved "Toy Story" films re-open the toy box and
bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our
favorite gang of toy characters in "Toy Story 3." Lee Unkrich (co-director
of "Toy Story 2" and "Finding Nemo") directs this highly anticipated film,
and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award(R)-winning screenwriter of "Little
Miss Sunshine," brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the
proceedings.
RAPUNZEL (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2010, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Glen Keane, Dean Wellins
Producer: Roy Conli
In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, "Rapunzel," audiences
will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic
tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl
with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair ...
lots of hair, when Rapunzel unleashes her locks in theaters for the 2010
holiday.
TINKER BELL A MIDSUMMER STORM - working title (Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Release Date: 2010)
DisneyToon Studios
Director: Carolyn Gair
Producer: Margot Pipkin
After being confronted by her antagonist Vidia, an irritated Tinker
Bell retaliates by taking a photograph of Vidia ... without considering the
consequences. Now, the two must set aside their differences and cooperate
to prevent evidence of the existence of fairies from falling into human
hands.
2011:
NEWT (Domestic Release Date: Summer 2011, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Gary Rydstrom
Producer: Richard Hollander
Writers: Gary Rydstrom, Leslie Caveny
What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts
on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they
can't stand each other? That's the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes
of "newt," the Pixar film by seven-time Academy Award(R) winner for sound
Gary Rydstrom, and director of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short, "Lifted."
Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover
that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one
choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science.
THE BEAR AND THE BOW (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2011, Disney
Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brenda Chapman
Producer: Katherine Sarafian
Voice Talent: Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson
A rugged and mythic Scotland is the setting for Pixar's
action-adventure "The Bear and the Bow." The impetuous, tangle-haired
Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a
great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a
reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom
and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of
nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right. Director
Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt," "The Lion King") and the
storytelling wizards of Pixar conjure humor, fantasy and excitement in this
rich Highland tale.
TINKER BELL A WINTER STORY - working title (Disney DVD and Blu-ray
Release Date: 2011)
DisneyToon Studios
Producer: Sean Lurie
The fourth, as-yet-untold story of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends
will take place in winter, completing the cycle of the seasons.
2012:
CARS 2 (Domestic Release Date: Summer 2012, Disney Digital 3-D(TM))
Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Brad Lewis
All the world's a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms
back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe's
fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the
"Cars" saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find
themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic
escapades around the globe. "Cars 2" is being directed by Brad Lewis,
producer of the Oscar(R)- winning film "Ratatouille."
KING OF THE ELVES (Domestic Release Date: Christmas 2012, Disney
Digital 3-D(TM))
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directors: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker
Producer: Chuck Williams
Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick's short story (his only
experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and
imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta,
whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to
name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they
attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new
leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers
and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life.
Original here
Falling neatly into the nobody-saw-it category of remakes is Frank LaLoggia's Lady in White, an unusual little ghost story that originally starred Lukas Haas and Len Cariou. The movie barely made a dent in the slasher-crazy world of '80s horror movies, but it's the kind of alternative to what the genre is currently doing that could really make an impact in the '00s. Think about all the buzz that The Orphanage built at the end of last year (not enough if you ask us) and how tired people are of the same-old-slash-old when it comes to the torture porn genre. We could all use a good ghost story to wash the taste of The Hitcher and Hills Have Eyes 2 out of our collective mouths. And Lady in White is a solid, old-fashioned, hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck supernatural tale that starred Haas as a kid who gets locked in school closet during Halloween of 1962 and sees something unusual in the classroom that leads him to the murderer of a young girl. Lady in White was something that not a lot of ghost stories were or are to this day - scary. Lukas Haas would later appear in My Chemical Romance's video for "Welcome to the Black Parade" because two members of the band were fans of the scary flick. If someone could recreate the same atmospheric chills as the original in a remake, it could inspire a whole new generation of Screamo fans. 
Hold up. I know that this sounds like a really bad idea at first. Half of you are probably in the camp that the original is good enough that it should stand on its own and the other half are probably so exhausted by the awful sequels that the mere prospect of another film in the franchise makes you hurl. We understand and feel your pain. But that's precisely why a Child's Play remake isn't a half-bad idea. In much the same way that Zombie tried to amend for the recent Michael Myers flicks by restarting the Halloween franchise, somebody really should be forced to give audiences some celluloid atonement for a few of the Chucky movies. There's still a lot of strength in the original concept of a childhood toy gone very wrong. Imagine if someone could take the idea seriously again. Turn Andy, the childhood lead, into a loner kid, maybe even aging him a little bit, who pairs with his sadistic toy to wreak havoc on the bullies who have wronged him and the adults who have left him to wither. Yes, we're actually suggesting a serious Child's Play movie, which could be the worst idea ever or could be a fascinating alternative to the cookie-cutter remakes that litter the genre. It certainly wouldn't be like any of the other remakes on this list. At least not until someone remakes Puppet Master or Demonic Toys. Wait, there’s an idea...
The Hunger is infamous for a number of reasons, very few of which have anything to do with the film's quality. The Hunger marked the debut of director Tony Scott (Top Gun, True Romance), starred David Bowie, turned into a cult hit in goth circles, and gained worldwide infamy for a lesbian seduction scene between Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. Lesbian vampires in goth makeup? Evanescence is already writing the soundtrack for the remake. Seriously, The Hunger is a campy, cheesy film but it features some themes about aging that are certainly even more relevant in today's botox-crazed society. Deneuve played a vamp whose eternal partners went through rapid aging just before they died. When one (Bowie) went to a doctor for help and went from suave club dude to old man in mere minutes, the doc (Sarandon) became fascinated with the situation and eventually became the vamp’s lover. The original chose atmosphere over character and story and looks incredibly dated, but there's enough good material here to warrant a remake. Goth kids everywhere would line up days in advance and if you kept the lesbian material, so would most of the horny young men in America. Imagine Wild Things with bloodsucking instead of just sucking. At the very least, it’d make a fortune on DVD.
Written by the amazing Dario Argento and directed by the son of the influential Mario Bava (Lamberto), Demons is one f-ed up movie that not nearly enough people have seen, making it the perfect fit for a remake. The basic foundation of the story is a tale that's been told for decades and is not going to go away any time soon - art will kill you. In the original, a group of people are invited to the opening of a new movie theatre. As the movie unfolds, they start to turn into demons and kill each other. It's mostly played for gore and Argento-esque insanity, but Demons has themes that could easily translate to today's censor-ific world, one who believes that Eli Roth and Rob Zombie are making horned creatures of teenagers anyway. The original chaos comes from a demonic mask (most foreign horror movies do) but the remake could play off the power of cinema straight away. We've all been sitting in a theater, watching a horrible movie, and just hoping that the guy next to us might turn demon and start a rampage just to alleviate the boredom.
There's no denying that Slumber Party Massacre is bad. It's one of those movies that's so bad that it transcends its awfulness and becomes enjoyable on the same level as a lot of Burt Reynolds '80s filmography or the works of Uwe Boll. According to IMDB, the legendary T&A slasher classic was originally written as a spoof of horror movies but was filmed as a straight forward horror movie when the producers didn't realize it was a parody. In other words, it's bad on purpose. Sorta. Why remake a bad movie? Well, it would have to be done as the parody it was always intended to be. You know those horrible straight-to-DVD American Pie movies like Band Camp and Beta House? Imagine "American Pie: Slumber Party Massacre." The remake of Slumber Party Massacre would work as a mix of Scream - a tongue-in-cheek but also scary satire of horror - and the American Pie movies. Cast it with enough young celebutantes, and this is a license to print money. How many people paid just to see Paris Hilton get a pole through the head in House of Wax? Now picture her, Lindsay, and a gaggle of other annoying starlets in Slumber Party Massacre. Somebody NEEDS to make this happen.
"The Tenant In Room 7 Is Very Small, Very Twisted, and Very Mad." Basket Case is one of the most over-the-top, ridiculous horror movies of the '80s and, if you couldn't tell by now, we at The Deadbolt think that the modern scary movie genre could use a few more flicks that come completely from left field. Imagine Basket Case treated seriously. Anyone who's ever lived in an apartment building of any size has experienced that sensation that someone in your building might be less than human. Whether it be odd sounds in the middle of the night or smells that just don't smell like home cooking, urban dwellers know that neighbors can be scarier than any cinematic boogeyman. In Basket Case, the guy down the hall happens to be a normal-looking country guy with a large basket in his hands. What's in the basket? His deformed twin brother, of course. It turns out the brother is in town seeking revenge on the doctors who made him into the nightmare that he has become. It's a ridiculous movie, but the little dude in the basket always scared the crap out of us. And what if one of our more twisted current filmmakers like Crispin Glover or Harmony Korine treated the deformity realistically? Talk about terrifying.
This one is purely a case of logic, something we know doesn't usually happen in the world of horror remakes, but stick with us here. If they're remaking My Bloody Valentine and have remade Prom Night and April Fool's Day, why the hell shouldn't they remake Happy Birthday to Me, the best of the early '80s slasherpalooza one-offs (meaning films that never turned into franchises and existed purely as VHS staples for an entire generation of horror buffs)? Happy Birthday to Me is about a girl who, after an accident, becomes a part of an exclusive clique, but she watches as most of her friends start to die as her 18th birthday approaches. Cliques, teenagers getting murdered, and death by shish-kebab. A smart producer would buy the rights to Happy Birthday to Me and do it tongue-in-cheek, much like Slumber Party Massacre. This could be the definitive teen horror movie for the generation of brain-dead media drones that are currently addicted to such gossipy reality fodder as The Hills. In fact, there you go - get MTV Films to adapt Happy Birthday to Me as the ultimate My Super Sweet 16 episode gone horribly, horribly wrong. Honestly, if Prom Night makes even a dime, we're willing to bet this is going to happen almost immediately. If it makes money, try to thank us in the credits.
The Zone TV series has fallen prey to USA's makeover as a more family-friendly network (ditto The 4400), but Stephen King’s original concept is so good and the original movie so strong that this wouldn't be as much of a remake as a continuation of the ideas from King's novel. The show has legions of fans still lamenting its passing who would love a fresh, high-budget take on The Dead Zone, and the themes of the original film/book are the ones that should truly be restored. Let's be honest - the idea that there's a leader who will someday destroy the world and only you know how evil he truly will be hasn't lost any of its power, particularly with Commander Cuckoo-Bananas still in the White House for a few months. The Dead Zone could even be a series of remakes like the Body Snatchers movies that, ignoring the most recent one, have successfully played off the fears of each generation that made them. It's been 25 years since the Cronenberg film and a talented director could make a masterpiece of a new take on the fears of death and power that King played with in The Dead Zone. 
More King and yet another situation where it's not that the original film is that bad, but that a quarter-century later, a newer model might bring the story to a new generation. Let's take Christine, the story of a killer 1958 Plymouth Fury, and bring it drifting into the new millennium. Cars in every form from NASCAR to The Fast and the Furious movies are more popular than ever. King is still a household name. And there's something intangible about John Carpenter's take on the original material that never quite worked. There are also arguably no films on this list that look quite as dated as the original Christine. Can't you just picture Paul Walker or Jim Sturgess in a modern spin on a killer car? Or the filmmakers could go real old-school and do it Death Proof-style, focusing more on the killer chases than the supernatural aspects. All we know is that with the popularity of everything that goes fast - and with Tarantino proving that "cars + gore = awesomeness" in those first brutal Texas kills in Death Proof - taking another spin around the block with Christine seems like a no-brainer.
Remember all those "rules of remakes" early in this feature? Fright Night fits them all. It's a good movie, not great, that has been largely forgotten by the generation who were born after it was released. Teenagers may still be watching Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street, but very few are checking out Fright Night, a Tom Holland vampire flick that was totally effective when it was released but looks crazy, crazy dated now. The zombie trend - the Dawn remake, the 28 movies, the Resident Evil movies - seems to be coming to a close. What's next? Why not vampires? The Zack Snyder take on Dawn of the Dead helped drive a zombie renaissance over the last few years, and there's no better remake to do the same for bloodsuckers than Fright Night, a film about a boy who has a vampire living next door to him but no one will believe him. We picture a Fright Night remake with smart, clever dialogue and characters spouting lines written by the likes of Joss Whedon or the team behind The CW's excellent Reaper. This could work. In fact, with the horrible success ratio of horror movie remakes, it might be the only one on this list that will.
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