In a recent Q&A published on UC Press Blog, Kathleen Loock, Professor of American Studies and Media Studies at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, delves into the depths of her latest book, Hollywood Remaking: How Film Remakes, Sequels, and Franchises Shape Industry and Culture.

Hollywood Remaking challenges the categorical dismissal in film criticism of remakes, sequels, and franchises by probing what these formats really do when they revisit familiar stories. Kathleen Loock argues that movies from Hollywood’s large-scale system of remaking use serial repetition and variation to constantly negotiate past and present, explore stability and change, and actively shape how the film industry, cinema, and audiences imagine themselves. Although remaking developed as a business practice in the United States, this book shows that it also shapes cinematic aesthetics and cultural debates, fosters film-historical knowledge, and promotes feelings of generational belonging among audiences.

The Q&A illuminates on Loock’s motivation in writing on cinematic remaking and the significance in this topic, with examples films used in the book and her personal experience and memories regarding film remakes, sequels and franchises. Ultimately, Loock emphasizes the dynamic, historically evolving practice that thrives on serial patterns of repetition and variation and has always puzzled the industry and audiences. She invites audiences to embark on a journey of discovering the industry and cultural evolution within the frames of Hollywood remaking.

You can read the full Q&A here.