Disney Announces The Rocketeer Sequel-Reboot

[IamLEAM1983]

Am I the only one that feels Joe Johnston should get first swing at directing this?
He did the original Rocketeer and made much money for Disney/Marvel with the first Captain America film.

You're never the only one. Ever.

And yes, I agree. Johnston handles the period like no-one else.

 

[Adaephon]

That would be a very interesting concept. Maybe she was scheduled to be deported (I don't know the American history well, but in Canada in the postwar they deported thousands of Japanese-Canadians to Japan), but was taken under the auspices of some quasi-spy agency and outfitted as an agent instead?

Yeah, the US' reaction wasn't NEARLY as nice about that issue. A number of Japanese civilians were rounded up and placed in interment camps (Which, while not the German Concentration camps, were still horrid conditions and even had a few peole die in them) and had their businesses and livelihoods shut down. It took literal DECADES before the US government even bothered to issue so much as an apology.

Actually the province of British Columbia also did the internment camp thing, and it took just as long to make the feds or the province apologize in any way. Interesting side note it was the state of California that did America's Japanese internment camps so neither country's federal government actually ran the camps, although they did not do much to stop them besides vague comments that they were unnecessary. Also, if I recall, the state of Hawaii, home to many Japanese-Americans and the site of Pearl Harbour (and the only state that was ever under real threat of invasion), never enacted the camps like BC or California did which shows how extra pointless and cruel they really were.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Never seen or even heard of the original. Not sure why, as it evidently must be popular enough to have an escapist news art...*reads coments*...ic...le. Oh dear.

 

[Saltyk]

not because it is yet another reboot/remake of a classic film.

Though, I am surprised that this one was a 90's film (released in '91) instead of an 80's film. I guess studious ran out of 80's films to pointlessly remake.

Let's not be too wild here; The Rocketeer is not a classic film. It was a reasonably entertaining bit of fluff that, outside of some good character design, really had nothing noteworthy going for it. Putting it in the same category as Schindler's List or Forrest Gump is crazy.

I feel like I'm talking about the forest, and you really wanna point out some trees, right now.

Anyway, while I don't disagree that The Rocketeer isn't really a classic film, very few films are qualified to be considered classics in my view. Seriously, they haven't really remade or rebooted a single movie I would legitimately consider a classic, in all honesty.

Still, it certainly is a movie that people have found memories of and feelings for. And someone seems to think they can capitalize on that to make a new movie. 25 years after the original.

Honestly, I could see it being made into a new game, even a TV series, but I find them remaking the movie to be unappealing.

Actually, I just found a better idea than this on 8Chan of all places.

If they really wanted to do something that fit with the post WWII time period, a Japanese American would have been better. She could still be bitter about the American internment camps, but come to see that the American ideal is a constant struggle, and it is worth fighting for. The evil Russians could even try to sway her, leading to some uncertainty about what she will do, but ultimately she chooses America and sets an example for others to follow, just like the original Rocketeer.

This movie is set six years after WW2, those would be some REALLY fresh scars, and focus on a dark mark on our history that doesn't really get enough attention.

Okay. That does sound like a good movie. Not really sure it would have to be a remake of Rocketeer, though. You could seriously remove any reference to The Rocketeer, and I think that could be a good film.

But since we're remaking 90's films, now, what will be next? Forrest Gump? Pulp Fiction? Schindler's List?

Please don't give Hollywood ideas.

Mwahahahahahaha! Yes, and after they remake those films, they'll remake Gone With the Wind, only with a woman playing Rhett Butler. And then they'll make a live action adaption of Gundam, and then a trilogy of films based on Mario Teaches Typing. Embrace the future!

 

[DoctorM]

Am I the only one that feels Joe Johnston should get first swing at directing this?
He did the original Rocketeer and made much money for Disney/Marvel with the first Captain America film.

You're never the only one. Ever.

And yes, I agree. Johnston handles the period like no-one else.

Oooh. Now I want a crossover movie: Captain America Meets the Rocketeer.

 

[faefrost]

"will be headlined by a black female character."

Of course it will *starts laughing* OF COURSE IT WILL.

Well it is , it's about time. Rule 63 is very popular right now.

No no it's not. If it is "6 years after the original" then the movie is set in 1944. Which is about as far opposite as as you can get without actually owning people. Which makes their casting plans a bit of a problem with regards to immersion and suspension of disbelief.

 

[faefrost]

Am I the only one that feels Joe Johnston should get first swing at directing this?
He did the original Rocketeer and made much money for Disney/Marvel with the first Captain America film.

You're never the only one. Ever.

And yes, I agree. Johnston handles the period like no-one else.

Oooh. Now I want a crossover movie: Captain America Meets the Rocketeer.

You and me both. Heck it would be so easy to slip The Rocketeer into the MCU if they could get the comic creator to agree to it. He would make a great "Invaders" stand in for either the Torch or Namor as they both can be tricky to use in the Marvel movies.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

"will be headlined by a black female character."

Of course it will *starts laughing* OF COURSE IT WILL.

Well it is , it's about time. Rule 63 is very popular right now.

No no it's not. If it is "6 years after the original" then the movie is set in 1944. Which is about as far opposite as as you can get without actually owning people. Which makes their casting plans a bit of a problem with regards to immersion and suspension of disbelief.

Eh, not THAT bad for Suspension of Disbelief honestly. Just requires the movie to not pull any punches with how black people were seen back in the day, and the whole "Idolize the hero, spit on the civilian identity" thing.

Given that it's Disney at the helm though, there's no telling how this will go.

 

[Soulrender95]

Oooh. Now I want a crossover movie: Captain America Meets the Rocketeer.

that might not be so far fetched, though I'm thinking it might be used as a backdoor to introduce Riri Williams or rather her family to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, establishing it before she eventually takes over from Tony Stark.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Now I want a crossover movie: Captain America Meets the Rocketeer.

They could frame it as something tied to the ISA, the Rocketeer being inspiration for Falcon's modern-day tech.

 

[JemothSkarii]

But since we're remaking 90's films, now, what will be next? Forrest Gump? Pulp Fiction? Schindler's List?

Please don't give Hollywood ideas.

I'm suddenly reminded of somebody telling me 'Hey, imagine what'll happen when Mel Brooks dies! Modern Hollywood remake of Blazing Saddles!'

OT: As somebody who's never seen The Rocketeer. Might be fun. 1944 is a bit odd to be talking about the Cold War and that last line screams 'No such thing as bad publicity'.

Colour me uninterested I suppose.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

At least they gave it a different title. "We're putting out an old thing again. We're calling it Old Thing: Classic Remix Hd Remastered Collection. We're also putting out a completely different new thing." What are you calling it? "Old Thing."

 

[Seanchaidh]

Random man: A black woman! But how could a black woman operate such a complected jet-pack?

Random man's head explodes

The timeframe would seem to be early 50s or late 40s. Or as early as 1944, I don't know. In any case: a black woman heroically fighting for the United States against communism does seem out of place for the culture of that time. I mean, if it were true to history the entire film would be about dealing with racism and sexism in the defense department or whatever agency or company is involved. Peoples heads would be exploding about it in-universe. Brown v. Board of Education was in 1954, and the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. People were throwing fits that a black female would have the temerity just to go to school with white children years after this is supposed to be set. But hey, fiction is fiction, so whatever. Why not? Maybe they'll actually have heads exploding in-universe, because the time period really does not deserve to be depicted as somehow devoid of very ugly bigotry.

 

[Bobular]

Random man: A black woman! But how could a black woman operate such a complected jet-pack?

Random man's head explodes

The timeframe would seem to be early 50s or late 40s. Or as early as 1944, I don't know. In any case: a black woman heroically fighting for the United States against communism does seem out of place for the culture of that time. I mean, if it were true to history the entire film would be about dealing with racism and sexism in the defense department or whatever agency or company is involved. Peoples heads would be exploding about it in-universe. Brown v. Board of Education was in 1954, and the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. People were throwing fits that a black female would have the temerity just to go to school with white children years after this is supposed to be set. But hey, fiction is fiction, so whatever. Why not? Maybe they'll actually have heads exploding in-universe, because the time period really does not deserve to be depicted as somehow devoid of very ugly bigotry.

I was meaning in universe, but yeah I can imagine it happening in real life as well unfortunately.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Hmmm...a black woman as the Rocketeer in 50s America?

Lots of potential there...strange as it may seem nowdays, but a black woman replacing a white man would seem strange and confronting to many people back then. Not that this would happen in these enlightened days, of course.

 

[Necrozius]

As a collossal fan of that movie and of the original comics, this makes me very happy. So relieved that this will take place in the same "world" as the original. Might even have a passing of the torch from Secord.

... sadly it will be without Jennifer Connelly as "Bettie Page"

EDIT: they better not fucking change the helmet. That thing is sacred. I don't care WHO wears it.

 

[runic knight]

now, see this is the sort of project where the whole "reboot" thing is a good idea. Take an interesting intellectual property that never really took off or was well adapted and give it another go. Don't try to cash in on nostalgia, don't try to bastardize an existing property, don't do 3 reboots over the course of 4 movies, and don't try to use an existing property as a political stick. Er, assuming that last part was actually a joke anyways or based on some acress they already had in mind and not a repeat of the ghostbusters PR disaster. We don't need another grating character in a poorly done movie that is marketed expressly on how progressive it is being defended by people accusing detractors of being racist/sexist.

But yeah, the concept is kinda cool and has potential to be an entertaining film, and unlike a lot of reboots, this one isn't already milked to death or being at risk of seeming a blatant cash-grab. So, good on them, even if currently I don't care a lot one way or another til more details show up or a trailer or something. I am, well, not cautiously optimistic, but I guess apathetically optimistic?