Remakes are a fact of life in Hollywood nowadays. If a project was popular at one time and it’s been a while since its release, why not remake it? At least that’s the logic involved. But do we really need remakes of period musical biopics? Apparently so, as people are ready to remake “La Bamba.”
According to Variety, Mucho Mas Media and Sony are developing a remake of the 1987 classic film “La Bamba.” The film tells the story of the life and career of Ritchie Valens, a hit musician from the ‘50s. The remake is being written by José Rivera.
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The original film stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Valens and is regarded as a beloved musical biopic. “La Bamba” would go on to be nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Drama. And it was eventually selected to be part of the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress. So, again, we have to ask—why remake this film?
It brings to mind a recent remake that has floundered upon release— “The Crow.” The original is beloved and still holds up to this day. The people who grew up watching the original have no interest in watching a remake. And a new generation just won’t care. That’s the same situation as “La Bamba.” If you grew up in the ‘90s, you probably saw this film on cable non-stop during that time. It’s a film that is generally loved by all who saw it. What could a remake possibly do better?
We’ll just have to wait and see. There’s no anticipated release date yet for the “La Bamba” remake.