‘MacGyver’ Reboot Trailer: Is Hollywood Out Of Original Ideas Or Just Catering To Consumer Nostalgia [Video]


A MacGyver reboot trailer has been released. The “new” CBS series will star Lucas Till from X-Men fame, reports Cinema Blend. Lucas ditches the mullet for a stylish yet unkempt Kurt Cobain look. George Eads has also been cast to play former CIA agent Lincoln for the series. Eads formerly played Nick Stokes on the hit show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for 15 seasons. Although the series seems to be geared to a younger crowd, CBS may be banking on Eads to draw in past fans of the crime drama series. MacGyver premieres this fall on Fridays at 8 p.m. EST.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJHPUWLqEDE

The MacGyver reboot trailer ushers in another production in a long and growing list of reboots and remakes coming out of Hollywood. The recent surge of remakes and reboots raises the question of whether entertainment producers have run out of original ideas, or if they are only catering to a public demand for nostalgia.

According to Den of Geek, there are currently 107 movie reboots slated for future production. Some seem less like reboots and more like casting reworks. The revivals of The Grudge and I Know What You Did Last Summer are too recent to elicit feelings of nostalgia. The same goes with television shows like 24, Charmed, and Prison Break. Even video game reboots like Dead to Rights and Call of Duty seem more like continuations of the existing franchises than actual remakes.

The MacGyver reboot trailer has a more nostalgic feel to it since the show originally aired over 30 years ago. Likewise, remakes of Stephen King’s It, The Muppets, and Doom bring back classic movies, TV shows, and games that fans can relive with an updated feel, cast, and graphics.

Many of the recent reboots have shown a zeal for innovation and twists on the original that gives them a fresh look and feel. Even tired ideas that failed, like the Charlie’s Angels reboot that was canceled before the first season had fully aired, have a newness to them brought by Hollywood attempting to modernize them. While this does not always work, it does show that producers are at least looking to invigorate old concepts with new ideas.

The MacGyver reboot is a good example of this. While the show looks to reintroduce an old series to a new audience, they are not exactly making it the same. Technology has advanced significantly since the 1980s and producers are looking to set the new series in the present time. This means “Mac” can be expected to use current technology to his advantage in his adventures.

Cinema Blend states, “Given Till’s relative youth, MacGyver’s brilliance, and the fact that the reboot will be set in present time, we can expect that he’ll be called upon to work some techno magic in his new role on CBS.”


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So it seems that Hollywood is not necessarily out of ideas, but they could be capitalizing on a nostalgic trend that entertainment consumers have been demanding more of recently. What is causing this trend seems to be a mystery. Perhaps it is stress over the unrest and instability in the modern world that is pushing people to long for and remember better times. The ’80s were a time of indulgence and great entertainment. People who lived through those times often look back with fond memories.

According to the New York Times, researchers have found that “nostalgia has been shown to counteract loneliness, boredom and anxiety. It makes people more generous to strangers and more tolerant of outsiders. Couples feel closer and look happier when they’re sharing nostalgic memories. On cold days, or in cold rooms, people use nostalgia to literally feel warmer.”

The Times also points out that nostalgia is “a bittersweet emotion.” Although nostalgia has its negative side, the overall effect is a positive one and people gravitate to it as a means of bringing significance to their lives.

The MacGyver reboot, as well as others, may also be Hollywood’s way of introducing once great ideas and stories to a new generation of consumer. Some younger people do not even realize that some of the recent reboots are based on existing properties.

MacGyver co-stars Lucas Till and George Eads
[Image via CBS]
As Cinema Blend puts it, “We’ll be getting a season of antics that will finally help a generation of youngsters understand what their elders are talking about when they say to ‘MacGyver’ something.”

The reason for the recent surge in reboots seems to be akin to the chicken and the egg conundrum. Is Hollywood releasing reboots and causing feelings of nostalgia that is generating additional interest in reboots of old properties, or is consumer nostalgia prompting the push for remakes?

Regardless of what is driving this recent trend, Hollywood is set to capitalize on these nostalgic tendencies. We will certainly be seeing more like the MacGyver reboot and others as long as the trend continues.

[Image via CBS]

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