If you can go back in time and change film history, what would you do?
Here's what I would do in order from least important to most important:
- Prevent the existence of underwhelming sequels like ZOOLANDER 2 and DISENCHANTED or change them for the better. I give their respective originals a 7/10 while their sequels are basically a 6/10. But, there are times when I wish they never existed. I would prevent them from ever happening especially after so long in-between films or help the studios find a way to make them better. Similar thing with INDEPENDENCE DAY yet I still give both movies a 7/10 and still hope that someday we gat an ID3.
- I would convince Francis Ford Coppola to cast Johnny Depp in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA as Jonathan Harker instead of Keanu Reeves. FUN FACT: Winona Ryder suggested the part of Harker go to Johnny Depp before Francis stupidly went with Keanu. This movie is my favorite R-rated horror movie even though I give it an 8/10. If the movie had the great JD as Harker, it would've been higher.
- Convince everyone at Disney and Walden Media not to give the rights to THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA to Fox 2000 Pictures for the third movie. Personally, as someone who loved Disney since I was very little, I always thought that whatever franchise started at Disney should stay at Disney. Then again, I would say that whatever franchise started at a certain studio should've stayed there permanently. Better yet, I would've figured out a way to convince Disney to make the NARNIA movies similar to the way Warner Bros. made the eight HARRY POTTER movies. Closer together in production and release and not far apart like the NARNIA movies. That way, Disney would've made eight successful NARNIA movies.
- I would convince Disney from the 90s onward not to make direct-to-video sequels to their movies because those DTV follow-ups that I've watched as a kid ruined any enjoyment of their respective originals. If the studio wanted sequels, they should've been made at the Walt Disney Animation Studios for the big screen and not DisneyToon Studios for home video. Same thing with the direct-to-video sequels to movies like THE CROW (1994), OPEN SEASON, SURF’S UP, and BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA. I would remove them from existence. Granted, I still enjoy those four movies because I’ve never seen their sequels though I still had a glimpse of their trailers.
- While I'm at it, I would stop Disney from replacing the classic blue “Walt Disney Pictures” logo with the modern “Disney” logo in newer releases of their older movies.
- I would also convince Disney to never alter the studio name from "Walt Disney Pictures" to just "Disney". They've been doing that since 2011 and I find it incredibly disrespectful to Walt's name. I liked the modern WDP logo from 2006-2011, but I would remove the "Walt" and "Pictures" from it.
- Convince the people at Warner Bros. to keep some of the deleted scenes from the two DEATHLY HALLOWS movies like Harry's final conversation with his abusive family and adapt more moments from the books like some of the moments with Remus and Tonks' son, Peter Pettigrew's death, the inclusion of Dean Thomas and Viktor Krum, having the final fight in the Great Hall like in the book, everyone cheering for Harry when it's over, Luna Lovegood helping Harry recover from his fight, and putting the Elder Wand back inside Dumbledore's tomb. There should've also be a moment in Snape's death scene where he apologizes to Harry, Ron, and Hermione for treating them like shit as a way to fully redeem the character. Plus, I would've also convinced the studio to add text epilogue regarding the fates of supporting characters and villains in between the Battle of Hogwarts aftermath and epilogue. Also, the final movie should've had a beautiful end credits song like the Annie Lennox song "Into the West" from THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING with a montage of clips from all eight HP movies. That would've these movies a LOT better.
- And finally, I would convince everyone at Sony to let Sam Raimi have full creative control of SPIDER-MAN 3. I love that movie, but if Sam had his way, it could've been better. More importantly, I would convince them to continue making SPIDER-MAN 4 with or without Sam Raimi because why would they cancel it if it's just the director who left? The cast was ready. Sure, they wouldn't have made it in time for 2011, but they could've tried for 2012. I have nothing against THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN movies, but they're not as great as the OG trilogy. Worst of all is that they cancelled TASM3 and other planned movies while TASM2 ended with unanswered questions and cliffhangers in order for the studio to share the Spider-Man rights with the stupid Marvel Cinematic Universe to the point where they made a MCU multiverse story called NO WAY HOME… effectively ruing my childhood. Plus, the so-called Sony's Spider-Man Universe has not been going the way I want it too. It makes you wander would have of this have happened if Sam just had full control and if they didn't cancel the planned second trilogy for Tobey Maguire? God, I miss the early 2000s.
Anyway, those are all my two cents on what I would do if I had the power to change film history. Let me know what you think and tell me what you would do if you had this power?