These five classic Maine movies have remakes in the works

Maine provides a great setting for stories thanks to its natural beauty, majestic coast and enchanting forests. Of course, bestselling author Stephen King used his home state for many of his books, and nearly 60 movies — that’s right, nearly 60 — are based on King writings.

That doesn’t even include television series like CBS’ “Under the Dome” or SyFy’s “Haven.”

But while King dominates the list below, he’s not the only one who has seen fit to set his stories in Maine, and over the decades, other acclaimed movies have been based in the state as well, like the 1986 “Children of a Lesser God” or “The Cider House Rules” in 1999, both of which piled up Academy Award nominations.

Well, in case you missed it, Hollywood loves to capitalize on nostalgia by remaking or rebooting old hits, whether they were popular TV shows, like “21 Jump Street” and “Starsky & Hutch,” or decades-old films like “Terminator” and “Ghostbusters.”

To that end, four movies that helped put Maine on the cinematic map are due to be revived for 21st century audiences. To be clear, these movies are not necessarily being filmed in Maine — only one, that we know of, may draw film crews here (more on that below). The originals were all set here, however.

What do think about these new film treatments?

5. “Cujo” (1983)

One of three King movies on the list, “Cujo” features a beloved family dog that goes on a murderous rampage. According to multiple horror websites, the movie is due to be remade by Sunn Classic Pictures and veteran producer Lang Elliott.

While script details have yet to be leaked, news of the movie’s reworked title hint at a potentially significant plot overhaul. Sunn’s working title for the remake is “C.U.J.O.,” which stands for “Canine Unit Joint Operations,” according to bloody-disgusting.com.

The website surmises that, based on the change of the titular dog’s name into an acronym, there might be a new military slant to the story. It’s fair to wonder how similar this new movie will be to Stephen King’s original book, or whether it will take place in Maine at all.

For what it’s worth, DreadCentral.com reports the new “C.U.J.O.” is due to star DJ Perry, a journeyman with dozens of lesser-known movies to his name, like the Christian film “Ashes of Eden.”

The original “Cujo” made $49.1 million (in today’s dollars) when it was released in 1983, and starred scream queen Dee Wallace.

4. “Wet Hot American Summer” (2001)

“Wet Hot American Summer” was a critical and financial flop — it had a box office haul of less than $400,000 — but became a cult hit with a loyal following.

Bradley Cooper (Reuters photo)

Bradley Cooper (Reuters photo)

Set in a Maine summer camp, this 80s sex comedy spoof has aged well, helped in part by the fact that a couple of its little-known stars have since become huge A-listers. Ever heard of Amy Poehler? How about Bradley Cooper?

Those two are big names now, and can credit “Wet Hot American Summer” with helping them get started in Hollywood, so in hindsight, the movie was more valuable than we gave it credit for in 2001.

And Cooper and Poehler haven’t forgotten where they came from. Both have reportedly agreed to take part in an eight-episode “Wet Hot” prequel series Netflix is producing this year.

Other stars from the original ensemble are also reportedly coming back to celebrate their campy classic, including “Ant-Man” star Paul Rudd and David Hyde Pierce of the sitcom “Frasier.”

3. “Pet Sematary” (1989)

Perhaps one of the most iconic Stephen King movies, this story about a supernatural Maine cemetery in which the buried come back to life earned $108 million (again, adjusted to reflect today’s dollars) at the box office.

Now, movie giant Paramount Pictures wants to, well, bring it back to life.

According to entertainment news org Variety, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, of the cult zombie favorite “28 Weeks Later,” has been in talks to direct the reincarnation of “Pet Sematary.”

No word yet on whether they’ll try to make the title into an acronym or make the plot totally unrecognizable, but the choice of director is perhaps cause for optimism over this particular remake. And if it brings in enough cash, there was also a “Pet Sematary Two” that could be remade.

2. “It” (1990)

Yes, another Stephen King movie.

The horror about Pennywise the monster clown is being brought back by Warner Bros. as a two-part movie, with “The Maze Runner” star Will Poulter lined up to take the evil clown role made famous in the two-part 1990 TV movie by Tim Curry.

While Cary Fukunaga of “True Detective” fame was originally on-board to direct, The Wrap reported in late May he dropped out of the project, putting the immediate timetable of the remake into uncertain territory.

Around the time of Fukunaga’s departure, crews from the new “It” reportedly came to Bangor to scout out potential filming locations for the remake. Stay tuned…

1. “Pete’s Dragon” (1977)

One of the most beloved family movies of all time, “Pete’s Dragon” was a story of the little Down East boy whose best friend was a dragon. Two years ago, Disney, which knows a thing or two about beloved family movies, announced it would be remaking the movie for a 2016 release.

Like the original, the new “Pete’s Dragon” would be a primarily live-action movie with an animated dragon — although animation, and now CGI, have come a long way since 1977.

Unlike the original, though, the remake won’t be a musical. That’s a pretty significant change, considering how celebrated the music was in the first movie — the original score earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations, and the song “Candle on the Water” got an Oscar nod of its own.

Tapped to star in the remake are none other than Robert Redford — the iconic actor who was just in Maine to deliver the Colby College commencement address in May — as well as Bryce Dallas Howard, recently of the blockbuster “Jurassic World,” and Karl Urban, known for his roles in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and newest “Star Trek” films.

The star-studded and well-funded remake could be the best of the bunch.

The first one did pretty well — earning $139 million at the box office in today’s dollars — and had a long life in VHS and DVD afterward.

What do you think about how these Maine movie remakes (or in the case of “Wet Hot American Summer,” prequels) will turn out? Is it a good idea to reboot these stories for the big screen? Leave your comments below or on Facebook.

Bryce Dallas Howard (Reuters photo)

Bryce Dallas Howard (Reuters photo)