It seems like every day Netflix announces a new highly-anticipated series adaptation. From The Witcher to Lost in Space, Netflix is king when it comes to giving a good story the long-form treatment it deserves, and giving awesome characters like Geralt of Rivia and the Robinson family the screen time fans are dying for.
The streaming service has already launched a couple small-screen versions of ’80s movies, like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and She’s Gotta Have It, but there’s definitely room for more when it comes to resurrecting beloved properties. Here are ten ’80s movies that are ripe for adaptation as exciting Netflix series.
Flash Gordon (1980)
This movie, based on a space opera comic strip first published in the 1930s, has already had its crack at television, in the form of a 2007 SyFy series, and a 1996 animated series that re-cast Flash Gordon as a hover-boarding teenager, among others.
But none of those series really succeeded in capturing the insane level of camp (and Queen) that embodies the 1980 film. And fans, who have been robbed of an animated film directed by the genius behind Thor: Ragnarok, Taika Waititi, deserve to see Flash back on the small screen.
Time Bandits (1981)
Time-traveling dwarves deserve more than an hour and fifty-three minutes of screen time. A clash of writer/director Terry Gilliam’s creepy sci-fi sensibilities and the fantastic wonder of a children’s tale, Time Bandits is a truly unique piece of filmmaking that deserves eight to twelve episodes to stretch its legs.
The danger, of course, is that without Gilliam’s strong artistic point of view, a Time Bandits series just wouldn’t work. Apple TV+, who have already beat Netflix to the punch and acquired the rights to develop a Time Bandits TV series, will have to take that chance.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
This film has the distinction of having been developed into an off-Broadway musical, entitled The Last Starfighter: The Musical. Directed by Nick Castle, who’s perhaps best known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978), this film is a solid space opera from back when space operas could still be produced on a modest $15 million budget.
There have been rumors circulated of a sequel or TV series adaptation, but so far none have come to fruition. And with some debate as to who actually owns the rights to the film. This is due to companies involved in distribution having been dissolved or absorbed, it may be tricky to get anything past the development hell.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
Never has there been a film more in need of a series than Buckaroo Banzai. Every inch of this 1984 cult film is packed to bursting with insane ideas that the filmmakers don’t have enough time to explore, especially when it comes to Buckaroo Banzai himself.
The film’s titular hero, played by Peter Weller, is not only a physicist, a neurosurgeon, and a test pilot, but also the front man in a rock band called the Hong Kong Cavaliers. And with a sequel announced at the time of the film’s release, but never made (Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League), Netflix could even get a head start on development.
Alien Nation (1988)
Though it already had a short-lived series adaptation in 1989, this film deserves a second chance. As a buddy cop neo-noir set in a world where alien “Newcomers” live and work among humans, a series adaptation of this film would have the potential to be both an entertaining sci-fi police procedural and a relevant commentary on topics like discrimination.
Netflix’s original movie Bright borrowed many ideas from Alien Nation, but considering that film’s critical failure, maybe it’s best to treat it as a test run for bigger and better things. Namely, reuniting James Caan and Mandy Patinkin on the small screen.
Tron (1982)
This 1982 Jeff Bridges film was one of the first to bring audiences along on an adventure through “cyberspace,” and, though it seems quaint now, was groundbreaking for its time. Disney has since released Tron: Legacy, a sequel, and Tron: Uprising, an animated series, so it’s likely that any future Tron property would find its streaming home on Disney+.
But Disney has worked with Netflix before, notably to create Marvel series like Daredevil and The Defenders. It’s possible they could team up again. But no matter where it ends up, Tron deserves a series treatment in the new, computer-dominated era.
Outland (1981)
This sci-fi film starring Sean Connery is one of the first true space westerns ever produced. Following the recent success of properties like Cowboy Bebop and Borderlands, and with the huge cult following of Firefly, a gritty space western series may be just what the doctor ordered to keep Netflix’s slate cool and current.
Connery’s character, a Federal Marshal stationed on Jupiter’s moon Io, is driven to untangle a complex web of corruption after miners start turning up dead. True gunslingers are hard to find on TV these days, but maybe one could find his way to streaming.
Willow (1988)
High fantasy is on the rise. Following the insane popularity of Game of Thrones, television bigwigs are scrambling to find the next big epic fantasy property. Netflix may already have found theirs with the adaptation of The Witcher, but then again, since they never disclose ratings, they may still be on the hunt.
With a story by George Lucas and direction by Ron Howard, Willow is an oft-overlooked gem. It stars Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis, and has a wide-audience appeal that could make it a family series in the vein of Lost in Space, fun for all ages.
RoboCop (1987)
RoboCop has already had a few cracks at television, most notably in the 1994 Canadian series RoboCop: The Series, but none since 1998. Granted, the critical failure of the 2014 reboot starring Joel Kinnaman (Altered Carbon) may put fans off the possibility of another revival, but there’s just so much good material to work with.
Considering the ever-growing awareness of technological surveillance, a RoboCop series may be relevant now more than ever. With a TV-MA rating and a nuanced look at the human toll Alex Murphy must pay to become a crime-fighting super robot, it could be a hit.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Any talk of adapting Big Trouble in Little China would bring Netflix into dangerous territory. Fans of this cult classic, directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, are vehemently protective of the sanctity of the original film.
That being said, if the property’s going to be resurrected, streaming is the place to do it. There’s a sequel in the works at Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions, but it seems unlikely that a film meant for widespread, popular consumption will be able to truly capture the zaniness of the original. Maybe Netflix can’t either. But then again, maybe they can.
