In the past few years, there have been a lot of remakes and sequels of classic movies and TV shows. Some are annoyed that their favorite childhood movie would be revisited, but others think it’s a great way to continue a beloved story. One of the biggest movies of the year so far, and with the biggest box office return for Hollywood legend Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick was a sequel to one of his iconic movies. The Jurassic World movies is another example of a reinvented franchise of the ’80s that has been a part of people’s lives for decades.

Eighties’ stories have received a lot of attention in recent years, and now it seems there is a new wave of remakes from a different period: the sixties. With the HBO Max Scooby-Doo spinoff Velma, Netflix and Tim Burton’s creation Wednesday, and Rob Zombie’s colorful The Munsters, horror-themed comedy series are coming back strong. Following the Universal Monster period between 1930 and 1950, the sixties were known for emblematic TV series, especially horror-themed stories, such as Dark Shadows. The Addams Family, Scooby-Doo, and The Munsters, which are all being remade this year, are perfect examples of what people were drawn to at the time and, it seems, are returning to now.

Following the announcement of the remakes, here are a few reasons why they are becoming so popular once more.

The Velma, Wednesday, and Munsters Remakes

All three remakes will be released this year. Wednesday is a new Netflix series that will dive into a murder mystery with Jenna Ortega (who has been nailing horror roles in A24’s X and the most recent Scream) as the titular Wednesday Addams. There is only a teaser trailer, but Tim Burton’s aesthetic is already present in the 30-second clip. Christina Ricci, known for her role as Wednesday in the 90s movies, was also confirmed for the series.

Scooby-Doo is one of the biggest cartoon franchises of all time. There are 13 series, five movies, and various video games of these characters, to name a few. Velma, however, will be adult-themed, and comedy writer and actor Mindy Kaling will voice the main character. There have been very few details of the series released, but the screenshot of a murdered character can indicate that it will be a dark spin on the original and not for kids.


Related: Netflix’s Wednesday: What we Hope to See in the Addams Family Series

Rob Zombie is known for being involved in a few great horror franchises, such as the 2007 and 2009 installments of the slasher franchise Halloween and his own Firefly film series of three grotesque and disturbing movies. The Munsters was a black and white series following silly variations of the most well-known monsters of all time (werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein, and so on). Now, however, the movie is in bright, bold, and vibrant color. A big change from what fans were used to seeing, The Munsters has not yet had an official trailer, but the movie teaser shows how these characters look in a colorful background.

A Different Type of Horror

Horror is a volatile genre. There are extremely different stories that fit into this genre, from Scream to Hereditary. Horror comedies were popular in the 1960s, especially in TV series. The emphasis was much more on the comedy than the horror then, but as time and special effects advanced, the scales tipped the other way, and now horror comedy movies and shows are generally more gory and violent than they are family-friendly.


There have always been filmmakers that mixed the two genres, but it was only until pretty recently that comedy has taken precedent over horror, while still retaining the quirks of the genre. A great example of a show that plays with classic horror but with a stronger emphasis on comedy is What We Do In The Shadows. Taika Watiti is known for his more comedic approach, even in sad stories like Jo Jo Rabbit. His vampire mockumentary is a great example that, in many ways, is reminiscent of old 60s horror comedy television.

Related: What We Do in the Shadows Season Four: How Will Colin’s Story Continue?

What becomes popular in every industry is cyclical. From 1930 to 1950, monster movies were at an all-time high with Universal’s Monsters. Monster movies faded out slightly over time in favor of slashers, which peaked in the 80s and 90s, and then elevated horror films have taken a more psychological approach to the genre. Nostalgia and cycles bring these genres back, as seen with the popularity of 80s-based shows and films (Stranger Things being the most prominent example). The same thing ought to happen with 60s-style horror comedies and with The Munsters, Wednesday, and Velma remakes this year, it seems like the time is now.

Modern Times, Timeless Characters

A lot of people grew up watching these characters and their stories. They were iconic for the time they appeared on the screen and influenced people’s lives, and it’s because of how unique they were that everyone still remembers the Addams family and why Scooby-Doo has continued in some iteration or other for more than half a century. They represent a very specific moment in time, and being able to explore them again in a new setting is an incredible opportunity to further develop these characters and their stories, and consequently, what they mean to people.

Two of these remakes focus on female characters that were important to the original stories, but who weren’t the central characters. It makes sense for filmmakers to want to dive into Velma and Wednesday’s stories after experiencing a lot of movements that place women at the front. Also, the character of Velma in the spin-off series is South Asian. That kind of casting has sparked a lot of debate over spin-offs, with diversity on television shows changing older aspects of characters and allowing them to represent more people.

Solidified Fan Base, Including Their Creators

One of the strongest reasons to do a remake is that there’s a higher number of likely viewers from the get-go. There is no need to sell the audience on the idea of The Addams Family or convince them that Velma is the smart one of the Scooby-Doo team. These stories (and characters) already have devoted fans around the world. That leads to a more certain audience statistic, which for the studios, is one of the best bets they can make when deciding on which project to invest in.

Also, iconic filmmakers now have a chance to explore these stories that have shaped them in one way or another. The creators of these new remakes, Tim Burton, Rob Zombie, and Mindy Kaling, have very different aesthetics and fan bases. This can lead to extremely new versions of these classic characters and stories, allowing the audience to have a different experience in a territory they are well acquainted with.