Reboot

A reboot is when an existing IP (intellectual property) is forcibly raised from its grave, scrubbed of any context, and paraded around as if it were a brand new idea. The ostensible purpose is to "reimagine" a story for a new generation. The actual purpose is usually to squeeze one last round of profit out of a recognisable name without doing the work of inventing something new.

Definition

In publishing, film, television, and gaming, a reboot occurs when creators decide that sequels, prequels, and spin-offs no longer generate excitement, and instead opt to re-tell the original story. Often, this includes removing or rewriting fundamental aspects of the original to make it more marketable, safe, or on trend.

Characteristics

Reboots frequently exhibit some or all of the following traits:

• Nostalgia Mining: Trading entirely on the goodwill of the original audience while openly condescending to them.
• Checklist Writing: Inclusion of obligatory diversity, marketing beats, or meme-ready dialogue that looks good in trailers.
• Canon Amnesia: Ignoring established lore under the excuse of “fresh take.”
• Merchandising Angle: Every costume, hairstyle, or accessory redesigned to sell as many dolls, lunchboxes, and Funko Pops as possible.
• Soft Focus Morality: Sharp stakes and flawed characters sanded down into teachable lessons appropriate for morning cartoons.

Issues

1. Stake Removal: By sanding off the rough edges of a narrative, reboots often eliminate the very conflicts that gave the original story meaning.
2. Character Re-Skinning: Characters are given surface-level "modern" traits (eyebrow scar, pastel hair dye, unexplained tattoos) that serve no purpose other than making them easy to render in merchandise.
3. Departmental Frankensteining: Creative vision is subordinated to studio notes, test audiences, and cross-department approvals. The result is often a story that reads like a legal contract written in glitter pen.

Notable Examples

• Disney’s 2024 reboot of Ariel, where King Triton became a cardigan-wearing supportive dad and Ursula transformed into a wisecracking auntie who makes fried plantains underwater.
• Countless superhero franchises (see: every third summer blockbuster).
• Video game reboots such as Tomb Raider and Devil May Cry, each of which alternated between “gritty realism” and “we swear we’re still fun.”

Cultural Impact

The concept of a reboot has been so overused that audiences now react with either weary cynicism or ironic glee at how badly the next one will be received. Critics note that while some reboots manage to revive interest and even tell compelling stories, the majority are exercises in IP taxidermy: the corpse looks familiar, but the soul is gone.

See also

• Remake
• The real treasure was the friends we made along the way

References

[1] Any studio executive interviewed since 2005.

[2] Online fans having meltdowns on Twitter threads.