Forget Stephen King, Mike Flanagan Wants to Reboot 2 Steven Spielberg Classics
Mike Flanagan says he would like to make films set in the Jaws and Jurassic Park worlds, two franchises launched by Steven Spielberg. He does not want to remake the original films; he sees room to improve on the Jaws sequels and imagines making a Jurassic film genuinely frightening.
In a Reddit question-and-answer session promoting his Carrie series, Flanagan said he has come to enjoy putting his own spin on familiar worlds, despite once avoiding franchises and sequels. He described a “true dinosaur horror film” as an appealing idea. Spielberg’s Jaws, released in 1975, led to three sequels that did not match the original’s success; the supplied article text ends before giving further context on the Jurassic Park series.
- Flanagan wants to make a Jaws film.
- He also imagines a scarier Jurassic Park story.
- He says the original films should not be remade.
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Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, released in 1975, helped establish the modern summer blockbuster and made a shark attack the centre of a suspense film. Its success led to three sequels, which were less well received than the original.
Spielberg also launched the Jurassic Park films, about humans encountering dinosaurs brought back through science. Both series have continued beyond their first films, giving later filmmakers the chance to tell new stories in the same fictional worlds. Mike Flanagan is a film-maker known for horror, and has said he is interested in working with familiar franchises after previously avoiding sequels.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A new film in either franchise could bring a distinct creative voice to familiar worlds without replacing Spielberg’s originals. Flanagan’s interest in a genuinely frightening dinosaur story and in improving on the less successful Jaws sequels offers a way to explore ideas the earlier films left open, while giving audiences new work to enjoy.
The case against
Both franchises are closely associated with Spielberg’s filmmaking, and revisiting them risks trading on that legacy rather than creating something with its own identity. Even without remaking the originals, new instalments could dilute what made the films distinctive or disappoint audiences if their tone and approach do not fit the worlds they inherit.