The verb reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas.[1] Effectively, the writer(s) declare all established fictive history to be irrelevant to the new storyline, and start the series over as if brand-new.[1]
Through reboots, filmmakers can revamp and reinvigorate franchises to attract new fans and stimulate revenue.[1] Therefore, reboots can be seen as attempts to rescue franchises that have grown "stale".[2] They can also be a "safe" project for a studio, as a reboot with an established fan base is less risky (in terms of expected profit) than an entirely original work.[3]
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The term originates from its use in computer science.[1]
A reboot differs from a prequel in that a prequel is generally consistent with the canon (previously established continuity) of the series. With a reboot, the older continuity is largely discarded and replaced with a new canon.[1]
Additionally, prequels are often developed by the same creator as the original series they lead up to, while a remake is often produced by a different author from that of the original series, and can be seen as re-telling of the same story and essentially maintaining the same canon. The term "remake" often applies to films or film adaptations of TV programs, such as 1993's The Fugitive, whereas the term reboot is ascribed to franchises such as Police Story (rebooted in the 2004 film New Police Story), Batman (2005's Batman Begins), James Bond (2006's Casino Royale), The Pink Panther (the 2006 Pink Panther film), Star Trek (the 2009 Star Trek film - though still in the existing canon, but in an alternate universe), and The Incredible Hulk (2008's The Incredible Hulk).[2]
This term is often applied to comic books, where the prevailing continuity can be very important to the progress of future installments, acting (depending on circumstances and one's point of view) either as a rich foundation from which to develop characters and storylines, a box limiting the story options available to tell, or even an irreconcilable mess of contradictory history. Such large continuities also become a barrier to introducing newcomers to the fandom, as the complex histories are difficult to learn, and make understanding the story very difficult. A reboot gives the chance for new fans to experience the core story by reintroducing it in smaller and easier-to-understand installments and/or by refocusing the story on its most important elements and abandoning many subplots and an overgrowth of minor details. Reboots may also serve changing audience expectations as to storytelling style, genre evolution, and sophistication of material.
| Franchise | First release year | Reboot | Reboot release year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alone in the Dark | 1992 | Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare | 2001 |
| Shinobi | 1987 | Shinobi | 2002 |
| Prince of Persia | 1989 | Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; Prince of Persia | 2003; 2008 |
| The Need for Speed | 1994 | Need for Speed: Underground; Need for Speed: Shift | 2003; 2009 |
| Doom | 1993 | Doom 3 | 2004 |
| Wolfenstein 3D | 1992 | Return to Castle Wolfenstein | 2001 |
| Rygar | 1986 | Rygar: The Legendary Adventure | 2002 |
| Ninja Gaiden | 1988 | Ninja Gaiden | 2004 |
| Spyro The Dragon | 1998 | Legend of Spyro A New Beginning; Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure | 2006; 2011 |
| Turok: Dinosaur Hunter | 1997 | Turok | 2008 |
| Castlevania | 1987 | Castlevania: Lords of Shadow | 2010 |
| Medal of Honor | 1999 | Medal of Honor | 2010 |
| Mortal Kombat | 1992 | Mortal Kombat | 2011 |
| Splatterhouse | 1988 | Splatterhouse | 2010 |
| Tomb Raider | 1996 | Tomb Raider: Legend; Tomb Raider | 2006; 2012 |
| Syndicate | 1993 | Syndicate | 2012 |
| Devil May Cry | 2001 | DmC Devil May Cry | 2012 |
| Franchise | Year of first release | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RoboCop | 1987 | In development[14] | |
| Fantastic Four | 2005 | Announced[15] | |
| Daredevil | 2003 | In development[16] | |
| Mortal Kombat | 1995 | In development[17] | |
| Street Fighter | 1994 | In development[18] | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | 1990 | In development[19] | |
| Judge Dredd | 1995 | Filming[20] | |
| Tomb Raider | 2001 | In development[21] | |
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 1992 | Announced[22] | |
| Police Academy | 1984 | Announced[23] | |
| The Haunted Mansion | 2003 | In development[24] | |
| The Howling | 1981 | Announced[25] | |
| National Lampoon's Vacation | 1983 | Announced[26] | |
| Godzilla | 1954 | In development[27] | |
| Jack Ryan | 1990 | Announced[28] | |
| The Fly | 1986 | Announced[29] | |
| Doom | 2005 | Announced[30] | |
| Spawn | 1997 | In development[31] | |
| Punisher: War Zone | 2008 | In development |