Summary
Geena Davis explains whyThelma & Louiseshould not ever get a remake. Directed by Ridley Scott with a script written by Callie Khouri, the 1991 crime drama follows the two titular friends, a homemaker and a waitress, who embark on a road trip that takes an unexpected turn when they commit a crime and are pursued by police. Besides Davis, the cast includes Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, Oscar nominee Harvey Keitel,Kill Bill: Volume 2’s Michael Madsen,Happy Gilmore’s Christopher McDonald,Groundhog Day’s Stephen Tobolowsky, and two-time Oscar winnerBrad Pitt in one of his first major roles.
During a recent interview withIndieWire,Davis explained whyThelma & Louisemust “never be remade.“The star says that Scott’s film has stood the test of time and still holds up well. In her opinion, there would be no point in revisiting it even though more than 30 years have passed since its release. However, she acknowledges that not all films fall into this category, which makes sense considering one of her most prominent roles is in the 1986 remakeThe Fly, and she insists that “I’m not saying this because I’m in it.” Read her full comments below:
It must never be remade. I mean, it’s 30-something years later, and it holds up more than others. I’m not saying this because I’m in it, but it really holds up. And there’s no need to revisit it. What would be the point? In my opinion. It would have to be better. I’m all in favor of making movies that didn’t really work again and making it work. That would be great. Thank God nobody ever tried to remake Casablanca or something… So far! I’m grateful. I would not be happy about that.
Thelma & Louise’s Long-Lasting Success Explained
The Iconic Movie Was A Major Hit In 1991 And Continues To Sustain Its Legacy
It makes sense that aThelma & Louiseremake might have been considered over the years. The movie was a runaway critical and commercial success upon its release in 1991, andit has largely stood the test of time over the ensuing decades. At the box office, it grossed $45.4 million (over two-and-a-half-times its $16.5 million budget), later becoming the most-rented movie of 1992. That worldwide total made it the 28th highest-grossing movie overall and the sixth highest-grossing female-led movie of the year. Below, see how it compares to the other top female-led titles:
#1
Beauty and the Beast
$248.8 million
#4
$130.7 million
#8
Sleeping with the Enemy
$101.6 million
#11
$82.4 million
#22
$59.5 million
#28
$45.5 million
#36
$36.5 million
#37
$34.9 million
#41
$33.69 million
#42
Dying Young
$33.67 million
While this chart doesn’t include several movies featuring male and female co-leads, includingT2: Judgment Day,The Prince of Tides, andThe Addams Family, this is still a major accomplishment, especially for an original movie. In addition to its commercial success, it was spectacularly well-reviewed at the time. Although there was not an aggregator metric available at the time, classic and modern reviews combined have given ita Certified Fresh score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoesat the time of writing, alongside a strong audience score of 82%.
Thelma & Louisewas also embraced by the establishment. At the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, itreceived six Oscar nominations, includingBest Actress in a Leading Role for Sarandonand Davis and Best Director for Scott, though only Khouri won for Best Original Screenplay. It lost two of its Oscars to Oliver Stone’sJFKand the other two to Jonathan Demme’sThe Silence of the Lambs, which that night became the third movie in Oscar history to sweep all five of the major categories, a feat that no movie has repeated since.
Geena Davis Is Right About A Thelma & Louise Remake
There Would Be No Point (& A Lot Of Risk) In Revisiting It
Critics consider the crime drama a landmark feminist film that deftly balances its more progressive elements with lively adventure, enhanced byScott’s striking visualsand the compelling chemistry between Davis and Sarandon.Thelma & Louise’s portrayal of female empowerment and defiance of traditional gender roles inspired future generations of filmmakers. Overall, because of its cultural impact and unique place in cinematic history, which includes being chosen for the Library of Congress' National Film Registry, Davis is right thatThelma & Louiseshould never be remade, which would only risk tarnishing its legacy.
Thelma & Louisewas also included on the American Film Institute’s List of the 100 Most Inspiring Films.
A remake ofThelma & Louisewould also be wholly unnecessary because of how many works in the ensuing years have paid direct homage to the landmark movie. The movie and its iconic ending have been parodied or recreated in everything fromWayne’s World 2to theSimpsonsepisode “Marge on the Lam” to sketches onFrench & SaundersandIn Living Color. The movie was alsoa major inspiration for Lady Gaga and Beyoncé’s music video for the 2010 single “Telephone,“which also incorporated elements from Quentin Tarantino’sKill Bill.
10 Movies That Should Never Be Remade (But Probably Will Be)
With remakes being incredibly popular in modern-day Hollywood, there are many movies that should never have a remake but likely will in the future.
Luckily, there have never been any serious attempts to remakeThelma & Louise. In the past few years,there have been persistent rumors about a remake involving Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, which have never materialized, nor has the promised sequel to the “Telephone” video. There have also been attempts to reimagine the movie for other media, such as aThelma & Louisemusical, which was workshopped with Amanda Seyfried and Evan Rachel Wood in January 2023. However, a proper movie remake has so far not happened despite an increasingly IP-hungry marketplace, which could prove that producers generally agree with Davis.
Thelma & Louise
Cast
Thelma & Louise is a 1991 drama directed by Ridley Scott, featuring Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise. The film follows the journey of two friends on a road trip that spirals into unexpected and intense circumstances, challenging their friendship and transforming their lives. Brad Pitt makes an early appearance in a supporting role, helping to cement the film’s enduring legacy.
