14 Actors Who Loved or Loathed Reboots of Their Signature Franchise
Now you’ve done it. You’ve gone and upset Lynda Carter.
Jerry Lewis: ‘The Nutty Professor’
Lewis, who wrote, directed and starred in the 1963 original, said that Eddie Murphy was “one of the five funniest men in the world,” but they lost him with the big fart scene. His ultimate takeaway was that “What I did was perfect. And all you’re going to do is diminish that perfection by letting someone else do it.”
Kirsten Dunst: ‘Spider-Man’
When asked how she felt about Spider-Man: Homecoming, she weighed in on every Spider-Man movie since hers: “We made the best ones, so who cares? I’m like, ‘You make it all you want.’ They’re just milking that cow for money. It’s so obvious. You know what I mean?”
Gene Wilder: ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’
Wilder thought the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp reboot was a cash grab, and laid all the blame on Burton while, oddly, coming somewhat to Depp’s defense: “I think it’s an insult. To do that with Johnny Depp, who I think is a good actor and I like him, but I don’t care for that director. He’s a talented man, but I don’t care for him for doing stuff like he did.”
Kim Cattrall: ‘Sex and the City’
Cattrall refused to play Samantha in the third SaTC movie (which never ended up happening anyway), and as a result wasn’t invited to the 2021 revival (which probably shouldn’t have happened).
Rachel McAdams: A Walmart Ad
When a bunch of the Mean Girls cast reunited for a Black Friday spot, McAdams said, “I don’t know; I guess I wasn’t that excited about doing a commercial, if I’m being totally honest. A movie sounded awesome, but I’ve never done commercials, and it just didn’t feel like my bag.”
Barbra Streisand: ‘A Star Is Born’
Streisand thought the Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper reboot lacked originality — “I was surprised when I saw how alike it was to the version that I did in 1976” — and preferred the rumored duo of Beyonce and Will Smith, which would “really make it different again, different kind of music, integrated actors. I thought that was a great idea.”
Lucy Liu: ‘Charlie’s Angels’
Liu starred in the ‘00s reboot alongside Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore. When Barrymore signed on to produce the 2019 re-reboot, Liu seemed legitimately happy for the continued success of the franchise: “To me, I think it’s very exciting. It’s like Sherlock Holmes. It’s something that people keep coming back to, and they’re drawn to. That’s something that needs to be explored, and if it needs to be explored on all different levels, then it should be.”
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: ‘Fuller House’
After taking the fashion world by storm, the twins lost interest in acting. Or more specifically, they didn’t “feel comfortable acting” after taking such a massive hiatus. Lori Loughlin reportedly said, “They won two or three (major fashion awards). That’s like winning two or three Oscars. If you won three Oscars, would you come back and do this?”
Brendan Fraser: ‘The Mummy’
After Tom Cruise blew the 2017 version, Fraser weighed in: “The ingredient that we had going for our Mummy, which I didn’t see in that film, was fun. That was what was lacking in that incarnation.”
Robert Englund: ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’
The original Freddy had some legitimately cogent thoughts on the disappointing 2010 remake: “We weren’t really given time to see the kids when they were normal, before they were frantic and haunted by Freddy,” which “made it harder to connect with them, harder to care what happened to them.”
Jennette McCurdy: ‘iCarly’
McCurdy refused to join the iCarly revival in 2021, despite Miranda Cosgrove trying to convince her it’d be a fun and lucrative endeavor: “Miranda, I’m not doing the reboot. There’s nothing you can say to convince me. (Some things are more important than money) and my mental health and happiness fall under that category.”
Ron Perlman: ‘Hellboy’
The OG live-action Hellboy said he’d only join the reboots if Guillermo del Toro was attached, otherwise “it would only provoke me into whatever things I didn’t need to add to my list of grievances. If Guillermo were to wake up one day and say, ‘You know what, Ron? We need to finish the trilogy,’ which is an idea that is near and dear to me, I’d be there in a heartbeat.”
Drew Barrymore: ‘Firestarter’
As a child actor, Barrymore played the lead in 1984’s Firestarter. By 2022, she had her own show, and invited the lead of the 2022 reboot on to shower her with praise and admiration: “I watched the movie. It’s so good. You’re so good in it. And it is just an honor to be in this with you.”
Lynda Carter: ‘Wonder Woman’
The general consensus is that Gal Gadot’s 2017 version was underwhelming, but James Cameron may have overstepped when he called it “a step backwards for women.” The OG Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter, came to the film’s defense: “You poor soul. Perhaps you do not understand the character. I most certainly do. Like all women — we are more than the sum of our parts. Your thuggish jabs at a brilliant director, Patty Jenkins, are ill-advised. This movie was spot on. Gal Gadot was great. I know, Mr. Cameron — because I have embodied this character for more than 40 years. So — STOP IT.”