Why Some Fans Want Classic Horror Franchises To Never Stop Making Films

For some horror fans, the idea of their favorite spooky flicks being remade or rebooted is even more terrifying than the ghosts, dream demons, and knife-wielding maniacs that populate the movies. That's because so many classics have already been given the redo treatment, often with polarizing results — "Halloween," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare On Elm Street," and so on. While these movies were commercially successful, they weren't exactly met with unanimous praise from critics and fans. Then again, as The Ringer points out, the majority of these remakes have been forgotten in the grand scheme of things.

Given that retellings of the classics are often favored over fresh, original ideas, there is a sense of resentment toward them in the horror community. Instead of bringing back Michael Myers for the umpteenth time, why not take a chance on more films like "It Follows," "Hereditary," and "Get Out," to name a few? Those movies showed that there's a mainstream audience for new nightmares, after all. 

At the same time, there are many horror aficionados who want to see their beloved icons return time and time again, even though they're seemingly in the minority. And the reason for this, when you stop to think about it, is surprisingly understandable.

Everyone loves trying new cuisines from time to time, but at the end of the day, nothing beats mom's home-cooked potato salad. Or, to be more specific, nothing beats seeing Jason Voorhees hack 'n' slash his way through promiscuous teens. As Reddit user Zutrax noted, it's comforting to know that there are certain franchises that won't die. This is because they've been a constant presence in so many people's lives. On top of that, it's quite exciting to see how modern creators will go about reimagining the old-timers.

Of course, it's easy to keep bringing back Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, as they're both silent types who wear masks. When it comes to Freddy Krueger and other icons with the gift of the gab, it's trickier to find other actors to play the part. Jackie Earle Haley tried to reinvent Freddy in 2010's "A Nightmare On Elm Street," and that remake failed to convince fans that anyone who isn't Robert Englund deserved to play the crispy-faced killer. That said, given that Englund has retired from playing Freddy, a new actor will need to fill the role in any future reboots. In order for the franchises to continue, changes are essential.

Reboots might not appeal to the purists, but they are likely to accept sequels. Blumhouse understood this when they released "Halloween" in 2018. Taking place 40 years after the events of John Carpenter's seminal slasher film, "Halloween" saw the return of Jamie Lee Curtis and other familiar faces from the first movie. On top of that, the film ignored the events of the previous sequels, and encouraged fans to do the same. The movie was a success, and at least two more sequels are guaranteed at the time of this writing. One of them, "Halloween Kills," will even hit theaters this year.

The upcoming "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" movie will adopt a similar approach. According to Bloody-Disgusting, the latest installment in the long-running franchise will be a direct sequel that focuses on Leatherface as an Old Man. A version of that idea was explored in "Texas Chainsaw 3D" as well, but it remains to be seen if the new movie will acknowledge that timeline. Either way, these franchises — much like the monsters that star in them — continue to endure in new forms.