9 Gender-Flipped Remakes That Could Totally Happen

By Moviefone Staff

With recent news that Channing Tatum would take over for Daryl Hannah in a Ron Howard-supervised remake of "Splash" for Disney, and that one of the new "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" will be none other than Rebel Wilson, along with persistent rumors of a Sandra Bullock-led "Ocean's Eleven" reboot (and hot on the heels of the better-than-expected all-female "Ghostbusters"), we thought it would be fun to hypothesize what remakes would benefit (or not) from a gender-flipped cast. Let us know which of these movies you'd really like to see, and which we should have included. (Also, our Photoshop skills are TERRIBLE.) Enjoy!

'Road House'

It's "Road House," but with Margot Robbie. That's enough to guarantee an $80 million opening weekend if we've ever heard something. In this reimagining of Joel Silver's cult classic, Robbie would step into the mud-splattered boots of Patrick Swayze, playing a female "cooler" who brings order to a rowdy roadside establishment. Taking this idea further, you could cast Lorraine Bracco in the Ben Gazzara role and Susan Sarandon in the role of Swayze's gruff mentor (originally essayed by a pubic hair-exposing Sam Elliott). Robbie shares Swayze's traits of being blonde, beautiful, and ultra-charismatic, and a "Road House" for a new generation will require some sensitivity with all that swagger.

'Three Amigos!'

At the time of the movie's release, "Three Amigos!," John Landis' gonzo comedy about three silent film stars who bumble their way into defending a Mexican village, was stocked with the funniest comedians in the world: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short. (It was co-written and produced by "Saturday Night Live" godhead Lorne Michaels.) For a female follow-up, you'd need the funniest women on the planet today, which is why we nominate Amy Schumer, Melissa McCarthy, and Rose Byrne. This would be a fresh take, especially for those of us who are suckers for female gunslinger movies (Sam Raimi's "The Quick and the Dead." Anyone? Anyone?)

'Fight Club'

The movie that spawned more feminist critiques than probably any motion picture in the history of cinema would be wise to invert those critics and become a feminist barnstormer. Brad Pitt was an alluring anarchist, but wouldn't it be fun to see Jennifer Lawrence burning holes in people's hands and detonating credit card company headquarters? The nameless narrator is a harder role to fill, but we think Mia Wasikowska would do a pretty killer job. She can go from naïve to knowing with the flip of a switch, which will be helpful given the finale's shocking reveal.

'Brokeback Mountain'

Yes, "Brokeback Mountain" broke new ground with its frank, heartbreaking portrayal of a gay romance. But you know what would make a female version of the same story even more revolutionary? By casting actual lesbians. (Who'd have thunk?) To that end, we propose Ruby Rose and Kate McKinnon for the job. Rose has proven her dramatic acting chops on "Orange is the New Black" and has a face you can understand would inspire decades of pained longing. McKinnon, while still a relatively untested commodity, is one of the hardest working (and funniest) comediennes on the scene (we now direct you to that "alien abduction" sketch from "Saturday Night Live"). And, chances are, if she can make you laugh until you cry, she can also make you cry your eyes out.

'28 Days Later'

For much of "28 Days Later," a single human being (Cillian Murphy) wandered the zombie-infested wasteland that used to be civilized London. When conceiving a follow-up, we'll keep the setting but swap out the gender of our lead. Instead of Murphy, who was, at the time a talented unknown, we'll go with another unproven (but immaculately talented) actress: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, a British actress who has made waves recently in starring roles in "Belle" and "Beyond the Lights" (and serviceable supporting roles in more mainstream fare like "Free State of Jones" and "Concussion"). She's someone whose physicality can hold your attention, even with nothing else is going on.

'The Shawshank Redemption'

While largely unseen on its original release, "The Shawshank Redemption," a Depression-era prison drama based on a story by Stephen King, has turned into a bona fide classic–beautifully shot, thrilling, and profoundly moving. It certainly helps that two of the best actors around, Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, anchored the movie with a pair of perfect performances. So for the reboot, you'll have to have actresses just as good. We vote for Angela Bassett in the Freeman role, since she is shockingly underutilized (thanks Ryan Murphy) and equal parts tender and tough. And for the Robbins role, we'll throw in for Sandra Bullock. Her dramatic work is usually her best, especially if you're factoring in the recent triumphs of "Gravity" and "The Blind Side," so we think she'd really shine.

'Dances With Wolves'

Again, this is a movie that has to be anchored by a single almost otherworldly talented actor, since it is about the experience of a white person amongst Native Americans. (Also: buffalo!) That's why Cate Blanchett is the only nominee we feel comfortable putting forth replacing Kevin Costner. I mean, honestly, can you imagine her in this role? It'd be absolutely mesmerizing, and would feel like an even more genuine experience, since she never hits a false note (Costner was great but occasionally stiff).

'Back to the Future'

Imagine going back … to "Back to the Future." Who can occupy the wide-eyed wonder of Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly, the teen sent careening back in time? We think that Saoirse Ronan would play the role gamely. It'd be sort of like her performance in "Brooklyn," except instead of coming to America, she'd be visiting post-war America. And in the role of Doc Brown, we have to cast Charlize Theron. She knows how to chew scenery with the best of them (see also: "Snow White and the Huntsman") but can also borrow down into the faulty inner workings of an outwardly comedic character, as she did in the bona fide masterpiece "Young Adult."

'Thelma & Louise'

So, yes, this would require a name change. But you thought we'd only be including movies in which male roles are flipped to female ones? Ha. For this movie, we think that Chris Pratt and Channing Tatum, real life bros who almost starred in another "Ghostbusters" movie, for the parts originally occupied by the great Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. They have the chemistry, they have the sex appeal, and they have the ability to nail the film's occasionally comic-tragic tone. Oh, but we're not done casting–in the Harvey Keitel role of the lawman tracking down the two runaway women (now men in our imaginary reimagining), Tilda Swinton would be tops. Can you imagine her barking orders to a bunch of backwoods lawmen? Because we sure can.