The runaway success of Cobra Kai has proved that there’s a place for beloved 80s franchises to get a second shot at the table. The streaming age finds companies like Netflix and YouTube taking the kinds of creative risks that Hollywood studios dare not venture towards. The landscape is ripe to adapt existing properties into fleshed out shows.
Today we’re taking a look at 10 classic 80s films that deserve their own streaming series. We’re picking each one based on the impact it had on ’80s pop culture, and its ability to be successfully adapted for a modern viewing audience. Read on, because this is gonna’ be rad!
The Last Starfighter
Sadly, this 80s hit never got a sequel, which is a shame. There’s a lot of story left to tell, and we barely scratched the service with the original. We think a Last Starfighter streaming series is far from improbable and could be a marvelous return to the intergalactic adventures of Alex Rogan.
The character of Grig would either need to be recast, or written out of the show, due to Dan O’Herlihy’s death in 2005, but that’s easy to navigate. Whether Lance Guest would agree to reprise his role is another matter. Regardless, an 8 episode adventure series based on this classic film would be fantastic.
Tron
Things never quite picked up for TRON after 2010’s TRON: Legacy. That film left us with a head-scratching cliffhanger which suggested that there could be more adventures in store, but it hasn’t happened yet. Disney seems reluctant to bank on a third film, but what about Disney+?
The streaming platform has shown that Disney is willing to spend big bucks on good shows like The Mandalorian. TRON has a place somewhere in there and could end up being a linchpin in the company’s streaming franchises. After all, Light Cycle battles never get old!
Wargames
This seminal 1983 techno-thriller raised a lot of eyebrows after being released during the latter half of the Cold War era. A teenager’s battle of wits against a supercomputer bent on kicking off a nuclear exchange was prevalent for its time, but even more so today.
Our modern age has largely abandoned nuclear war in favor of cyber-attacks, which could easily set the stage for an amazing follow-up series with original star Matthew Broderick returning to guide a new cast of young hackers. All that’s required is a sinister foreign adversary, a doomsday scenario, and some good old fashioned 80s thriller elements to bring this franchise back into the modern age.
Gremlins
We may never see a third Gremlins film, despite all the talk of a possible sequel or reboot. Maybe a streaming service would be better suited for such a franchise? After all, Netflix brought back The Dark Crystal with stunning quality, and the show has since become a critical success.
We don’t like the idea of a reboot, and we’d much prefer a follow-up to Gremlins 2. We want Billy and Kate back. We want a cameo from John Glover as Mr. Clamp. We want Gremlins galore, done in traditional puppet style! Few films have that 80s feel like Gremlins, and with the right attention to detail and directorial touch, we’d have one fantastic follow-up.
Robocop
Gritty sci-fi has been done exceptionally well on streaming platforms. That’s why RoboCop could return to follow up the story of Alex Murphy while ignoring past TV-based iterations of the franchise. If Peter Weller could be convinced to reprise his role, so much the better.
A RoboCop streaming series could easily last a few seasons, and flesh out a story about OCP’s tug-of-war with the Detroit Police Department for control of the city. We’d want to see all the cool things, like an upgraded, more monstrous (and practical) ED-209, some new weapons, and of course, a colorful assortment of bad guys for Robo to turn into red mist. We’d also push for this show to be Adults only, with all the trademark cartoon-style blood and gore of Paul Verhoeven’s original vision.
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A streaming series based on the iconic horror classic would probably require the participation of Robert Englund in order to work correctly. He’s tied to the franchise in a way that makes him inseparable from the source material, which rules out a recast. That being said, it could be the perfect opportunity to finally put Freddy Krueger down for good, following his brutal battle with Jason Vorhees.
The latter could also make a cameo in the show as well, to tie up the story elements. We’re envisioning a streaming series where Krueger is set upon by a new generation of Dream Warriors, who are a greater threat than their predecessors. The idea would be to turn the tables on Krueger and make him the hunted, but they would still be at a disadvantage inside his dream world.
Back to the Future
A sequel or reboot to Back To The Future seems rather unlikely, given all indications. However, Christopher Lloyd has expressed interest in returning for a sequel, so perhaps there’s still a small beacon of hope left for a new adventure. As a streaming series, Back To The Future could survive and thrive, especially if Doc Brown was part of the mix.
We like the idea of Marty McFly’s kid taking the helm as the new protagonist, to link back to the original films. We’re picturing the kid seeking out the Old Doc in order to prevent a future cataclysm of some sort (perhaps a temporal paradox). With the right mix of foreboding atmosphere and zany comedy, Back To The Future could hit 88mph all over again, for an entirely new generation!
Bloodsport
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s most iconic movie is a perfect franchise for a streaming series, and we think it’d be a hit. If Van Damme could be persuaded to return, he could either star as a competitor in a brand new Kumite tournament or serve as a mentor and master for a new student. Either way, it would set the backdrop for a spectacular, good old fashioned martial arts story.
Spread across 8 episodes, a Bloodsport series could weave a well-constructed storyline which focuses on the training aspects for the first two episodes, before reserving the final six for the Kumite tournament. The story could span several days, and weave a sub-plot (perhaps a rivalry) that kicks off throughout its progression. Design some nice sets, choreograph some stunning martial arts sequences, and there’s no reason why a Bloodsport streaming series wouldn’t amount to a knockout punch!
Willow
Warwick Davis is still in fine shape to play an older, wiser Willow Ufgood, and we’d love to see a new fantasy streaming series that picks up where the 1988 classic film left off. If Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley made full returns (or cameos), that would be spectacular.
The new series could focus on the character of Elora Danan, who has since grown up to become the young Empress of Tir Asleen. Doubtlessly, new threats would arise to challenge Danan’s reign, which would put Willow at the forefront of the conflict as an established sorcerer with a confidence he didn’t possess in the original film. Cue the creepy monsters, spectacular battle sequences, and stunning adventures, and Willow could succeed as a streaming series.
The Thing
This psychological sci-fi horror classic’s biggest strength is that it could take place anywhere, and still be as riveting and bone-chilling as the original film. Though there’s talk of a remake in the works, we think a streaming series based on The Thing could be a more viable platform. Its serialized nature could set up a number of nail-biting cliffhangers as a new group battles the horrifying shape-shifting alien menace.
It would be too easy to set the series in an isolated location, so we’d suggest a populated area where the team is forced to contain the creature and prevent it from escaping into society. This could be done at the locked-down CDC headquarters in Atlanta, which forces the government to lie to the public about a contained virus, while simultaneously battling the alien threat. The level of suspense would be marvelous!
