Reboot (fiction)

File:Godzilla Raids Again (1955) Godzilla vs Anguirus.jpg film series, which began in 1954, has been rebooted numerous times. Pictured here is a promotional still for Godzilla Raids Again (1955).]]

In serial fiction, the term "reboot" signifies a new start to an established fictional universe, work, or series. A reboot usually discards continuity to re-create its characters, plotlines and backstory from the beginning.{{cite web|last1=Willits|first1=Thomas R.|title=To Reboot Or Not To Reboot: What is the Solution?|url=http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue344/reboot1.html|website=Bewildering Stories|access-date=20 August 2013|date=13 July 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121206001739/http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue344/reboot1.html|archive-date=6 December 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web|last1=Parfitt|first1=Orlando|title=Top 12 Forthcoming Franchise Reboots|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/25/top-12-forthcoming-franchise-reboots|website=IGN|access-date=20 August 2013|date=25 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520012126/http://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/25/top-12-forthcoming-franchise-reboots|archive-date=20 May 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} It has been described as a way to "rebrand"{{cite web |last1=Alexander |first1=Julia |title=The Matrix reboot isn't a remake: Here's the difference between the two |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/3/15/14935390/the-matrix-reboot-remake |website=Polygon |access-date=19 July 2018 |date=15 March 2017}} or "restart an entertainment universe that has already been established".

Another definition of a reboot is a remake which is part of an established film series or other media franchise.{{cite web |last1=McKittrick |first1=Christopher |date=6 March 2018 |title=Film Franchises: The Differences Between Sequels, Reboots and Spinoffs |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/differences-between-sequels-reboots-and-spinoffs-4057759 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054531/https://www.thoughtco.com/differences-between-sequels-reboots-and-spinoffs-4057759 |archive-date=19 July 2018 |access-date=19 July 2018 |website=ThoughtCo |quote=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.}} The term has been criticized for being a vague and "confusing"{{cite web |title=Hollywood's 10 Best Reboots |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/22/hollywoods-10-best-reboots |website=IGN |access-date=19 July 2018 |date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719055128/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/09/22/hollywoods-10-best-reboots |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}} "buzzword",{{cite web |last1=Peters |first1=Ian |display-authors=etal |date=6 August 2012 |title=Reboots, Remakes, and Adaptations |url=http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/2012/08/06/reboots-remakes-and-adaptations |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054529/http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/imr/2012/08/06/reboots-remakes-and-adaptations |archive-date=19 July 2018 |access-date=19 July 2018 |website=In media res |language=en |df=dmy-all}} and a neologism for remake,{{cite web |last1=Child |first1=Ben |title=Don't call it a reboot: how 'remake' became a dirty word in Hollywood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/24/film-industry-remakes-hollywood-movies |website=The Guardian |access-date=19 July 2018 |language=en |date=24 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054536/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/aug/24/film-industry-remakes-hollywood-movies |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}{{cite web |last1=Patches |first1=Matt |title=The Reboot Glossary: Which Hollywood Buzzword Fits the Bill? |url=http://www.hollywood.com/movies/the-reboot-glossary-which-hollywood-buzzword-fits-the-bill-57239239/ |website=Hollywood.com |access-date=19 July 2018 |date=9 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054348/http://www.hollywood.com/movies/the-reboot-glossary-which-hollywood-buzzword-fits-the-bill-57239239/ |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}} a concept which has been losing popularity since the 2010s.{{cite web |last1=Faughnder |first1=Ryan |title=Hollywood's summer problem? Reboots people don't want |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-ben-hur-summer-box-office-20160817-snap-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=19 July 2018 |date=24 August 2016 |archive-url=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 |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}{{cite web |last1=Desta |first1=Yohana |title=Why Hollywood Is Producing So Many Damn Remakes |url=https://mashable.com/2014/10/09/hollywood-film-remakes/ |website=Mashable |access-date=19 July 2018 |language=en |date=9 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054717/https://mashable.com/2014/10/09/hollywood-film-remakes/ |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}} William Proctor proposes that there is a distinction between reboots, remakes and retcons.{{cite journal |last1=Proctor |first1=William |title=Reboots and Retroactive continuity |journal=The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds |date=7 April 2017 |pages=230–231 |url=https://www.academia.edu/38572946 |access-date=9 December 2019 |language=en}}

Origin

The term is thought to originate from the computing term reboot, meaning to restart a computer system. 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.{{cite web |title=Does This Common Computer Term Actually Reference Shoes? |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/reboot-boot-word-origin |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=12 February 2021 |language=en}} The first known use of reboot applied to an entertainment franchise was in a 1994 Usenet posting.{{cite web |title=MISC: The origin of "reboot" found! |url=https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.comics.dc.lsh/c/6yzTsMm_8Ho/m/IBINP2OpdVAJ |website=Google Groups |access-date=20 Jan 2023 |date=1 April 1996}}{{registration required}}

Types

{{blockquote|Say you've had 187 issues of 'The Incredible Hulk' and you decide you're going to introduce a new Issue 1. You pretend like those first 187 issues never happened, and you start the story from the beginning and the slate is wiped clean, and no one blinks.

One of the reasons they do that is after 10 years of telling the same story, it gets stale and times change. So we did the cinematic equivalent of a reboot, and by doing that, setting it at the beginning, you're instantly distancing yourself from anything that's come before.|David S. Goyer, on Batman Begins{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=James |title=Rescuing Batman |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-08-ca-batman8-story.html |access-date=August 15, 2024 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 8, 2005 |page=E-10}}}}

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.{{cite web|last1=Norris|first1=Erik|title=Why Franchise Reboots Can Be A Good Thing|url=http://www.mandatory.com/fun/456007-why-franchise-reboots-can-be-a-good-thing|website=Mandatory|publisher=CraveOnline|access-date=6 June 2018|date=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180608160315/http://www.mandatory.com/fun/456007-why-franchise-reboots-can-be-a-good-thing|archive-date=8 June 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} For audiences, reboots allow easier entry for newcomers unfamiliar with earlier titles in a series.

=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.{{cite web|author1=Lorendiac|title=Lorendiac's Lists: The DC Reboots Since Crisis on Infinite Earths|url=http://www.cbr.com/lorendiacs-lists-the-dc-reboots-since-crisis-on-infinite-earths|website=Comic Book Resources|access-date=20 August 2013|date=16 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009182911/http://www.cbr.com/lorendiacs-lists-the-dc-reboots-since-crisis-on-infinite-earths/|archive-date=9 October 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}} 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.Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12 (April 1985 – March 1986)Flashpoint #1-5 (May – September 2011)Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #4-0 (Sept. 1994)

=Film=

With reboots, filmmakers revamp and reinvigorate a film series to attract new fans and stimulate revenue. A reboot can renew interest in a series that has grown stale.{{cite news |last1=Vasquez |first1=Zach |title=Beyond the grave: what's next for the horror reboot? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/23/halloween-horror-reboots-upcoming-pet-sematary-it |access-date=25 October 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=23 October 2018 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025070910/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/oct/23/halloween-horror-reboots-upcoming-pet-sematary-it |archive-date=25 October 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}} Reboots act as safe projects 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=

A television series can return to production after cancellation or a long hiatus.{{cite web |last1=Francis |first1=James Jr. |title=Why did the television reboot become all the rage? |url=https://theconversation.com/why-did-the-television-reboot-become-all-the-rage-96179 |website=The Conversation |access-date=19 July 2018 |language=en |date=11 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054748/https://theconversation.com/why-did-the-television-reboot-become-all-the-rage-96179 |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}{{cite web |last1=Husser |first1=Amy |date=27 February 2016 |title=Reboot overload? Fuller House only latest in line of nostalgia-inspired TV revivals |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/tv-reboots-2016-fuller-house-1.3461297 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811133426/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/tv-reboots-2016-fuller-house-1.3461297 |archive-date=11 August 2018 |access-date=19 July 2018 |website=CBC News |publisher= |df=dmy-all}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Swarts |first1=Jessica |date=12 April 2016 |title='The Twilight Zone' Remake Episodes That Are Actually Pretty Good |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/14127-the-twilight-zone-remake-episodes-that-are-actually-pretty-good |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719054502/https://www.inverse.com/article/14127-the-twilight-zone-remake-episodes-that-are-actually-pretty-good |archive-date=19 July 2018 |access-date=19 July 2018 |website=Inverse |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Otterson |first1=Joe |title='Twilight Zone' Reboot From Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg, Marco Ramirez Greenlit at CBS All Access |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/twilight-zone-reboot-cbs-all-access-jordan-peele-simon-kinberg-marco-ramirez-1202632108/ |website=Variety |access-date=19 July 2018 |date=6 December 2017 |archive-url=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/ |archive-date=19 July 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}

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.{{cite news |last1=VanDerWerff |first1=Emily Todd |date=12 February 2014 |title=How the second season of Newhart proves sitcoms need time to learn |language=en-us |work=The A.V. Club |url=https://www.avclub.com/how-the-second-season-of-newhart-proves-sitcoms-need-ti-1798266087 |url-status=live |access-date=24 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191123233602/https://tv.avclub.com/how-the-second-season-of-newhart-proves-sitcoms-need-ti-1798266087 |archive-date=Nov 23, 2019 |quote=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.}}

=Video games=

Reboots and remakes are common in the video game industry. 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.

Soft reboot

A soft reboot is a reboot that shares some continuity with the original series, but that changes the style, tone, or intent.{{cite web|url=https://superman-on-film.com/2019/04/09/the-5-best-soft-reboots-in-cinematic-history/|title=The 5 Best Soft Reboots in Cinematic History|first=D L|last=Keatis|date=April 9, 2019|website=Superman on Film}} It usually serves to allow writers more creative freedom while mostly maintaining the same setting the audience has grown accustomed to.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/movie-franchise-soft-reboot-continuation-discussion/|title=Why Soft Reboots Are the Ideal Compromise Between Remakes & Sequels|first=C|last=Agar|date=February 11, 2016|website=Screen Rant}}

The "gritty reboot"

The notion of the "gritty reboot" gained popularity, in which various franchises that often had a lighter tone in their original form were remade in a darker and more mature form. Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy is one of the earlier, more famous, and highly regarded examples,{{cite web | url=https://www.inverse.com/culture/superhero-movies-february-2023-hbo-max-batman-begins | title=You Need to Watch the Most Influential Superhero Reboot Ever on HBO Max ASAP | date=20 February 2024 }} and was followed by gritty reboots of DC's Justice League,{{cite web | url=https://www.gq.com/story/the-history-of-the-gritty-reboot | title=How Everything Became a Gritty Reboot | date=12 March 2021 }} the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale in 2006, and others including Bel-Air and A Christmas Carol,{{cite web | url=https://www.innervoiceartists.com/post/hollywood-s-obsession-with-the-gritty-reboot | title=Hollywood's Obsession with the Gritty Reboot | date=25 February 2022 }} among many other examples.