Reboot (fiction) explained

In serial fiction, the term "reboot" signifies a new start to an established fictional universe, work, or series. A reboot discards continuity to re-create its characters, plotlines and backstory from the beginning.[1] [2] It has been described as a way to "rebrand"[3] or "restart an entertainment universe that has already been established".[1]

Another definition of a reboot is a remake which is part of an established film series or other media franchise.[4] The term has been criticized for being a vague and "confusing"[5] "buzzword",[6] and a neologism for remake,[7] [8] a concept which has been losing popularity since the 2010s.[9] [10] William Proctor proposes that there is a distinction between reboots, remakes and retcons.[11]

Origin

The term is thought to originate from the computing term reboot, meaning to restart a computer system.[1] [2] There is a change in meaning: the computing term refers to restarting the same program unaltered, while the term discussed here refers to revising a narrative from the beginning.[12] The first known use of reboot applied to an entertainment franchise was in a 1994 Usenet posting.[13]

Types

Reboots cut out non-essential elements associated with a pre-established franchise and start it anew, distilling it down to the core elements that made the source material popular.[14] For audiences, reboots allow easier entry for newcomers unfamiliar with earlier titles in a series.[14]

Comic books

In comic books, a long-running title may have its continuity erased to start over from the beginning, enabling writers to redefine characters and open up new story opportunities, allowing the title to bring in new readers.[1] [15] Comic books sometimes use an in-universe explanation for a reboot, such as merging parallel worlds and timelines together, or destroying a fictional universe and recreating it from the beginning.[16] [17] [18]

Film

With reboots, filmmakers revamp and reinvigorate a film series to attract new fans and stimulate revenue.[2] A reboot can renew interest in a series that has grown stale.[19] Reboots act as a safe project for a studio, since a reboot with an established fanbase is less risky (in terms of expected profit) than an entirely original work, while at the same time allowing the studio to explore new demographics.

Television

See also: Revival (television). A television series can return to production after cancellation or a long hiatus.[20] [21] Whereas a reboot disregards the previous continuity of a work, the term has also been used as a "catch all" phrase to categorize sequel series or general remakes due to the rise of such productions in the late 2010s.[22] [23]

A related concept is retooling, which is used to substantially change the premise of a series while keeping some of the core characters. Retools are usually part of an effort to forestall cancellation of a still running production.[24]

Video games

Reboots and remakes are common in the video game industry.[14] Remakes in video games are used to refresh the storyline and elements of the game and to take advantage of technology and features not available at the time of earlier entries.[14]

Soft reboot

A soft reboot is a reboot that shares some continuity with the original series, but that changes the style, tone, or intent.[25] It usually serves to allow writers more creative freedom while mostly maintaining the same setting the audience has grown accustomed to.[26]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Willits. Thomas R.. To Reboot Or Not To Reboot: What is the Solution?. Bewildering Stories. 20 August 2013. 13 July 2009. https://archive.today/20121206001739/http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue344/reboot1.html. 6 December 2012. live. dmy-all.
  2. Web site: Parfitt. Orlando. Top 12 Forthcoming Franchise Reboots. IGN. 20 August 2013. 25 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20140520012126/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/25/top-12-forthcoming-franchise-reboots. 20 May 2014. live. dmy-all.
  3. Web site: Alexander . Julia . The Matrix reboot isn't a remake: Here's the difference between the two . . 19 July 2018 . 15 March 2017.
  4. Web site: McKittrick . Christopher . 6 March 2018 . Film Franchises: The Differences Between Sequels, Reboots and Spinoffs . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054531/https://www.thoughtco.com/differences-between-sequels-reboots-and-spinoffs-4057759 . 19 July 2018 . 19 July 2018 . . In a lot of ways, a remake and a reboot are similar concepts. They are both brand-new versions of previous movies. However, "reboot" is more commonly used for film franchises, while "remake" is more often used for stand-alone movies..
  5. Web site: Hollywood's 10 Best Reboots . . 19 July 2018 . 21 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719055128/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/22/hollywoods-10-best-reboots . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  6. Web site: Peters . Ian . etal . 6 August 2012 . Reboots, Remakes, and Adaptations . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054529/http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/2012/08/06/reboots-remakes-and-adaptations . 19 July 2018 . 19 July 2018 . In media res . en . dmy-all.
  7. Web site: Child . Ben . Don't call it a reboot: how 'remake' became a dirty word in Hollywood . . 19 July 2018 . en . 24 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054536/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/24/film-industry-remakes-hollywood-movies . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  8. Web site: Patches . Matt . The Reboot Glossary: Which Hollywood Buzzword Fits the Bill? . . 19 July 2018 . 9 August 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054348/http://www.hollywood.com/movies/the-reboot-glossary-which-hollywood-buzzword-fits-the-bill-57239239/ . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  9. Web site: Faughnder . Ryan . Hollywood's summer problem? Reboots people don't want . . 19 July 2018 . 24 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054652/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-ben-hur-summer-box-office-20160817-snap-story.html . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  10. Web site: Desta . Yohana . Why Hollywood Is Producing So Many Damn Remakes . . 19 July 2018 . en . 9 October 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054717/https://mashable.com/2014/10/09/hollywood-film-remakes/ . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  11. Proctor . William . Reboots and Retroactive continuity . The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds . 7 April 2017 . 230–231 . 9 December 2019 . en.
  12. Web site: Does This Common Computer Term Actually Reference Shoes? . . 12 February 2021 . en.
  13. Web site: MISC: The origin of "reboot" found! . . 20 Jan 2023 . 1 April 1996.
  14. Web site: Norris. Erik. Why Franchise Reboots Can Be A Good Thing. Mandatory. CraveOnline. 6 June 2018. 7 March 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20180608160315/http://www.mandatory.com/fun/456007-why-franchise-reboots-can-be-a-good-thing. 8 June 2018. live. dmy-all.
  15. Web site: Lorendiac. Lorendiac's Lists: The DC Reboots Since Crisis on Infinite Earths. Comic Book Resources. 20 August 2013. 16 March 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20161009182911/http://www.cbr.com/lorendiacs-lists-the-dc-reboots-since-crisis-on-infinite-earths/. 9 October 2016. live. dmy-all.
  16. Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12 (April 1985 – March 1986)
  17. Flashpoint #1-5 (May – September 2011)
  18. #4-0 (Sept. 1994)
  19. News: Vasquez . Zach . Beyond the grave: what's next for the horror reboot? . 25 October 2018 . . 23 October 2018 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20181025070910/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/23/halloween-horror-reboots-upcoming-pet-sematary-it . 25 October 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  20. Web site: Francis . James Jr. . Why did the television reboot become all the rage? . . 19 July 2018 . en . 11 June 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054748/https://theconversation.com/why-did-the-television-reboot-become-all-the-rage-96179 . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  21. Web site: Husser . Amy . 27 February 2016 . Reboot overload? Fuller House only latest in line of nostalgia-inspired TV revivals . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180811133426/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/tv-reboots-2016-fuller-house-1.3461297 . 11 August 2018 . 19 July 2018 . . dmy-all.
  22. Web site: Swarts . Jessica . 12 April 2016 . 'The Twilight Zone' Remake Episodes That Are Actually Pretty Good . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054502/https://www.inverse.com/article/14127-the-twilight-zone-remake-episodes-that-are-actually-pretty-good . 19 July 2018 . 19 July 2018 . . en.
  23. Web site: Otterson . Joe . 'Twilight Zone' Reboot From Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg, Marco Ramirez Greenlit at CBS All Access . . 19 July 2018 . 6 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054445/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/twilight-zone-reboot-cbs-all-access-jordan-peele-simon-kinberg-marco-ramirez-1202632108/ . 19 July 2018 . live . dmy-all.
  24. News: VanDerWerff . Emily Todd . 12 February 2014 . How the second season of Newhart proves sitcoms need time to learn . en-us . . live . 24 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191123233602/https://tv.avclub.com/how-the-second-season-of-newhart-proves-sitcoms-need-ti-1798266087 . Nov 23, 2019 . Newhart is that rare beast in the TV world: a show where all of the retooling paid off because the producers were keenly attuned to what was and wasn’t working on their show..
  25. Web site: The 5 Best Soft Reboots in Cinematic History. D L. Keatis. April 9, 2019. Superman on Film.
  26. Web site: Why Soft Reboots Are the Ideal Compromise Between Remakes & Sequels. C. Agar. February 11, 2016. Screen Rant.

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