This examination of film and television remakes focuses explicitly on why – since the dawn of cinema – studios have remade films over and over again. Each chapter provides insight into the business of Hollywood, the motivations of filmmakers and also the pleasures for audiences, and offers a separate explanation for the whys of remaking.

Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, the author draws from existing literature, close readings of films and a dataset of hundreds of film reviews, to provide a taxonomy and deep-dive into six unique rationales for remaking premade...