Science fiction as a genre, has been around for more than hundreds of years now, starting in book format and making its way to television, comics, movies, and more. From its early beginnings in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, to the genre’s cinematic debut in 1907 with A Trip to the Moon, science fiction has managed to capture the audience's imaginations with its portrayal of the future, space, robots, alien concepts, and much more. It has only grown in scope and magnitude since then.
With the rise of sci-fi came some of the better films of the genre debuting in the 1980s. From the all-time beloved classics E.T. the Extraterrestrial and Star Trek’s The Wrath of Khan, to some of the more under-appreciated films in John Carpenter’s The Thing and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner; the '80s saw much-needed exploration and growth of the science fiction genre. In a day filled with modern takes and remakes, some of these sci-fi films have received sequels (Blade Runner 2049) and remakes (Dune), but here are some other classic ‘80s Sci-Fi films that could benefit from an update with current technology.
They Live (1988)
Directed by the legendary John Carpenter, and debuting in 1988, They Live follows a man who discovers that the ruling class of the world are actually aliens, masking themselves by using technology that can only be seen through specialized sunglasses. Through subliminal messaging in mass media, the aliens have managed to enslave most of the human population. As for why it should be remade? With a world full of advanced technology, connecting people from all over the world into one place; along with lax laws on misinformation in social media, the themes and messages of They Live would translate very well to the modern age. Timeless pieces always do, and a remake of They Live would be more relevant than ever.
The Running Man (1987)
One of the many stories that filmmakers adapted from the works of the great Stephen King, The Running Man is a story of a man named Ben Richards, who participates in a reality TV show (Running Man) where he has to avoid being hunted down and killed by the general population (who receive rewards if they kill participants). One of the darker Stephen King stories, The Running Man received a cinematic adaptation in 1987 that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, and was only loosely based on the story; criminals were forced to run from mercenaries in order to earn a government pardon. The reason for a remake of this would mostly be for book accuracy. While the 1987 film was full of action, the book was more of a long, drawn-out suspense thriller. A new adaptation of The Running Man is actually in the works, with Director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) attached to it.
Akira (1988)
The only animated feature added to this list, Akira is one of the most beloved sci-fi films of the '80s. Based on the manga by Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira follows Shotaro Kenada, leader of a biker gang, as he has to stop his friend Tetsuo Shima; who has gained telepathic powers and is threatening all of Japan with his might. Earning over $50 million USD, Akira wrought its way into popular culture, bringing Japanese art into the Western media. Remakes for Akira have been in development for quite some time, recently with directors Jordan Poole and Taika Waititi both being attached to the project at some point. Filled with beautiful action scenes, motorcycles, and superpowers, an Akira remake would work extremely well in this era of film.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
George Lucas’ Star Wars spawned a new, generational wave of films in the space opera/sci-fi genre, and one of the better films to come from that wave is Nick Castle’s The Last Starfighter. Alex Rogan, a simple teen who lives in a trailer park, is suddenly swooped into an intergalactic conflict after he gets the high score on the arcade game “Starfighter”, which is revealed to be a testing ground for new soldiers. Mixing the epic scope of the space battles of Star Wars with a relatable, Annie-like rags-to-riches story, The Last Starfighter manages to create a lasting impression in sci-fi culture, earning itself a modern-era remake (with video games instead of arcade games) to bring the classic nostalgia to new and old fans alike. Of course, The Last Starfighter also set itself up for a good sequel at the ending, with screenwriter Garry Witta saying that a sequel is close.
Of course, there are many more fantastic science fiction films that came from the '80s that could also be on this list, with some already having remakes, such as Dune, Robocop, and a sequel to Blade Runner. But the selected films above are some of the most deserving.