Top Five Timeless Fantasy Films Ripe for a Modern Cinematic Revival

Decades before 1939’s unforgettable “The Wizard of Oz” enthralled audiences and reshaped the film industry, adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s “Oz” books were already flourishing on screen. The journey started with 1910’s silent version “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and was further explored by Larry Semon’s 1925 rendition also titled “The Wizard of Oz.” Not limited to the land of Oz, other classic tales like “Alice in Wonderland” have also seen numerous iterations over the years, reflecting cinema’s fascination with fantasy storytelling. Such enduring popularity makes these stories prime candidates for reinterpretation, confirming that a fairy tale’s cinematic journey is rarely confined to a single definitive version.

These legendary tales continually morph through remakes, presenting fresh perspectives of adored characters and plots to new audiences. As a staple of the film industry, fantasy remakes encompass various artistic styles and quality, cementing their place on the silver screen. In a landscape continually shaped by such reinventions, it’s intriguing to consider five iconic fantasy films that could be transformed anew. Cherished by fans and critically lauded, these movies hold immense potential for creative re-imagining, demonstrating that even beloved classics have room for thrilling reinterpretations.

A remake could breathe new life into each of these five fantasy classics, highlighting different aspects of their narratives for modern audiences. They beckon for reinterpretation, ensuring the tradition of fantasy remakes—a tradition rooted deep in the origins of cinema—endures.

In 1984, Wolfgang Petersen captivated viewers with “The NeverEnding Story,” an adaptation co-written with Herman Weigel of Michael Ende’s 1979 novel. The film paired haunting elements like a sinking swamp and a doomed horse with a mesmeric fantasy universe, leaving a lasting impression on audiences worldwide. However, while it excelled in creating an immersive tale, the film adaptation notably omitted significant portions of the book, particularly its latter half.

This gap presents a prime opportunity for a fresh rendition of “The NeverEnding Story.” Speculation about a potential reboot has persisted, driven by fans eager to see untold parts of the narrative come to life. Imagine a remake that retains the tactile magic and gravity of the original while introducing a bold artistic vision—akin to Denis Villeneuve’s meticulous approach with “Dune.” Such innovation could transform the realm of Fantasia (or Fantastica, as referred to in Ende’s novel), rejuvenating it for a new generation with groundbreaking aesthetics and inventive storytelling.

There’s tons of wiggle for a new visual interpretation of this fictional domain. Plus, it’s high time a new generation of kids enjoyed the kind of trauma-induced nightmares that only “The NeverEnding Story” could provide.

Many of the musical movies you need to watch right now deploy vibrant color schemes that could only exist in this heightened genre. Unfortunately, several modern musicals have inexplicably opted to deliver films where characters navigate drab tableaus illuminated by minimal lighting. “Cats,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” “Joker: Folie à Deux,” 2026’s “Moana” remake; they all take place in permanent nighttime and subdue their colors to unintentionally comical degrees. We need unabashedly silly movies again. What we need is a second coming of the 1980 roller-skating fantasy musical, “Xanadu.”

This camp classic starring Olivia Newton-John and featuring Gene Kelly’s last film acting credit might sound like a strange one to receive the remake treatment. However, the incredibly successful 2007 stage musical adaptation of “Xanadu” has demonstrated that this distinctly ’80s creation doesn’t have to remain in that era. Fully committed musical performances, not to mention iconic tunes from bands like Electric Light Orchestra, never go out of style. Hire a great modern queer cinema icon (like Angela Robinson, Alice Maio Mackay, or Alice Wu), let them paint the screen in vibrant visuals that would make Powell & Pressburger and Jacques Demy proud, and “Xanadu” could be an even more dazzling spectacle than its original incarnation.

Best of all, a modern maximalist “Xanadu” remake would show all those dreary “modern” musical movies the rich visual possibilities of this genre. We need more “Xanadu” mayhem in this genre and fewer “Joker: Folie à Deux” disasters.

Today, 1996’s “Dragonheart” is considered a cult classic and one of the 50 movies about dragons you need to see. Universal Pictures has certainly gotten a lot of mileage out of this property, given that the studio has made four direct-to-video follow-ups to the original “Dragonheart.” However, there’s still glaring artistic flaws with this production, a fact especially apparent to Patrick Read Johnson, who penned the film’s original screenplay (he only received a “Story By” credit in the final film). Among the many alterations to the saga of dragon Draco (Sean Connery) and human Sir Bowen (Dennis Quaid) that Johnson despised was the removal of any nuance or compelling drama in the human characters, who were all incredibly arch in the final film.

Remaking “Dragonheart” closer to his original vision is something Johnson has constantly talked about with enthusiasm. Certainly, there’s something to the idea of remaking a movie that had a cool core concept but didn’t hit its full potential. Whether it’s Johnson stepping behind the camera or somebody else, a new “Dragonheart” incanration would undoubtedly benefit from having a better director than the original film’s helmer. Rob Cohen. This filmmaker responsible for “xXx,” “The Boy Next Door,” “Stealth” and so many other clunkers zapped this production of its energy from the get-go.

With a better filmmaking steering the “Dragonheart” ship, not to mention a more consistent and weighty tone, this property could finally live up to all the potential Johnson imbued into his initial draft.

The original “Magic Bedknob” and “Bonfires and Broomsticks” children’s books by Mary Norton were first published in the 1940s and existed separate from the P.L. Travers “Mary Poppins” books. However, Disney’s 1971 adaptation of the Norton texts, entitled “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” was clearly trying to ape the style and success of 1964’s “Mary Poppins.” The “what would Walt do?” mantra guided all corners of the Disney empire after Walt Disney’s passing and that extended to motion picture endeavors like “Bedknobs and Broomsticks.” This feature even contained a lengthy set piece where the live-action human characters traveled to an animated world, just like in “Mary Poppins.”

Decades later, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” could have a chance to be adapted once more, but this time as a project with more of an identity than “we have ‘Mary Poppins’ at home.” A blueprint for how to remake this fantasy feature can be found in another update of a live-action 70s Disney movie: “Pete’s Dragon.” That 2016 David Lowery directorial effort just took the title and starting concept of the original Disney musical before making a deeply moving standalone exercise. The result was one of summer 2016’s best movies. 

Going the same route for a new “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” movie would be a boon on multiple levels, including in offering moviegoers something they already haven’t seen and avoiding the exact same problem plaguing all live-action Disney remakes. Plus, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” could finally have a cinema-based identity that isn’t rooted in “Mary Poppins.”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was one of the best reviewed movies of 2008 and the recipient of countless Oscar nominations. Unfortunately, the movie itself was a slog, a rare pre-Netflix misfire for director David Fincher. Despite its intriguing high-concept premise promising something deeply specific, the final version of “Benjamin Button” came off as domestic distributor Paramount Pictures wanting to fuse together pieces of two of its biggest hits. Specifically, “Benjamin Button” is just the tragic romance of “Titanic” stitched together with the “one guy wanders through multiple decades of history” conceit from “Forrest Gump.”

Constantly reminding audiences of other movies doesn’t help “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” stand on its own two feet. Amplifying the film’s problems is that the CG effects turning back the clock on Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button stand out as a glaringly obvious example of de-aging technology missing the mark in movies. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original 1922 “Curious Case of Benjamin Button” short story had both a wryer sense of humor and a killer starting concept that deserve a better movie. Remaking this title into something more whimsical and comedic that lets human performers inhabit Button at different stages of life could finally unlock the fullest potential of this saga.

Despite “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” enjoying a revered reputation in 2008, the passage of time has made it clear there’s plenty of ways a remake could excel where this Fincher title floundered.