{"id":27744,"date":"2019-06-09T02:30:59","date_gmt":"2019-06-09T08:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/?p=27744"},"modified":"2020-06-08T11:54:17","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T17:54:17","slug":"scrooged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mymerrychristmas.com\/x\/scrooged\/","title":{"rendered":"Remaking Scrooged"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Scrooged\"For the second time in less than a month a bad idea for a Christmas<\/a> movie has been announced. Paramount has declared that Kevin Hart will produce and likely star in a remake of 1988\u2019s dark comedic disaster called Scrooged<\/em>, which originally starred Bill Murray.<\/p>\n

Scrooged<\/em> is just one of many inexplicable takes on Dicken\u2019s A Christmas<\/a> Carol<\/em> that ultimately underwhelmed both at the box office and with traditional Christmas<\/a> audiences.<\/p>\n

Murray\u2019s manic performance in what can only be called a joyless take on Christmas<\/a> remains one of the most bizarre depictions ever of Ebenezer Scrooge<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Unlike A Christmas<\/a> Story<\/em>, Scrooged<\/em> remains an enigma with Christmas<\/a> audiences, though Paramount now insists it is a \u201ccult classic\u201d.<\/p>\n

The film pulled in $60 million at the box office, not even cracking the top ten for that year.<\/p>\n

In fact, another film from the same year, Die Hard<\/em>, argued both then and now about whether it is a Christmas<\/a> film at all, pulled in more than $80 million. Just a year later Christmas<\/a> Vacation<\/em> was made and it grossed $72 million. Why aren\u2019t they trying to remake those two films?<\/p>\n

Films of greater Christmas<\/a> fame such as Home Alone<\/em> went on to make $285 million and The Santa<\/a> Clause<\/em> pulled in $145 million. Scrooged<\/em> does not even make the top ten.<\/p>\n

Scrooged has likewise failed to impress in home media sales and in television replay.<\/p>\n

So why then is anyone even considering a remake?<\/p>\n

In 2013 Hollywood announced a potential remake of It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>, long considered even outside of Christmas<\/a> circles as one of the best movies ever made. The outcry against a remake was so great the project was shelved.<\/p>\n

It might be time to cry out again, folks.<\/p>\n

Why can\u2019t Hollywood get Christmas<\/a> right? In the past decade we have had to endure such lousy offerings such as A Bad Mom\u2019s Christmas<\/a><\/em>, The Man Who Invented Christmas<\/a><\/em>, Office Christmas<\/a> Party<\/em> and The Night Before<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Hollywood\u2019s take on Christmas<\/a> has been simply dreadful.<\/p>\n

Release after release seems to cast Christmas<\/a> with nothing but weird themes, raunchy comedy and dark misery. Hollywood, it seems, hates Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Perhaps this is why the ongoing success of Hallmark Christmas<\/a> movies expands. With better than 40 largely saccharin formula made-for-TV Christmas<\/a> movies a year Hallmark has found a willing and watching audience. Why can\u2019t Hollywood see that?<\/p>\n

Any why can\u2019t Hollywood even get A Christmas<\/a> Carol<\/em> right?<\/p>\n

The last decent version of the film coming from Hollywood was The Muppet Christmas<\/a> Carol<\/em> brought out 27 years ago.<\/p>\n

The last time they even tried to make it was more than a decade ago with Jim Carrey giving us a video game version of the film.<\/p>\n

Remaking another dark Scrooged<\/em> is hardly the formula for success.<\/p>\n

In the UK audiences are looking forward to a new BBC adaptation of A Christmas<\/a> Carol<\/em> starring the likes of Guy Pearce, Stephen Graham and Rutger Hauer. It is a serious pursuit.<\/p>\n

Yet Hollywood is giving us Kevin Hart in a remake of a movie we can hardly stand.<\/p>\n

Would it be that hard? Can\u2019t they find the talent and originality to give us a serious version of A Christmas<\/a> Carol? Can\u2019t they give us great, modern special effects with a glorious score with well-acted dialogue? Is that asking too much?<\/p>\n

A Christmas<\/a> Carol is a classic for one simple reason: it tells a great story. Isn\u2019t that what Hollywood is supposed to do?<\/p>\n

Please, for the love<\/a> of Kevin Hart, spare us a remake of Scrooged<\/em>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n