How a sci-fi movie more popular than Star Trek was destroyed time and time again by Hollywood
Author: Jonathan Klotz | updated
Every generation has some stories to tell. There will always be James Bond, Robin Hood and Spider-Man. These stories are timeless and will always find a way to appeal to new generations.
There are stories that look like they should fit this mold, but somehow Hollywood just can’t. But as long as there’s a sign that money is possible, they’ll keep trying, for better or worse.
that’s why lost in space… failed.
The concept is simple and, on paper, should have four-quadrant appeal (the quadrants Hollywood executives love to touch upon). This is the story of a family who are stranded in space.
It was a simple concept but difficult to execute, and only the original series from the 1960s achieved lasting success. This ’90s film has long been a contender for “worst sci-fi movie of the ’90s,” and despite being a Netflix series that ran for three seasons, it went largely unnoticed.
The problem is that the original series was contrived and silly, leaning heavily into a ridiculous premise. Modern retellings try to make it dark and gritty, or a teen drama.
lost in space always follows the Robinson family on their mission to colonize a planet that is crumbling due to various reasons (pollution, resource scarcity, or meteor strikes), and each time something goes wrong with the ship, either from sabotage by the evil Dr. Smith, or from the Netflix series’ alien robots, stranding them on a desolate alien planet. unlike Gilligan’s IslandThe Robinson family left their original planet and experienced a series of adventures in the far corners of space, trying to get home.
The 1965 original was more popular than Star Trek
The 1965 series was compared to another science fiction series that aired at the same time, Star Trek: The Original Seriesbut unlike the adventures of the Starship Enterprise, lost in space The ratings were a success. A blend of fantasy and science fiction, it focuses on the family’s youngest son, Will Robinson (Bill Mumy), as he foils the over-the-top evil plans of Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris).
With the help of a robot and his classic catchphrase “Dangerous Will Robinson!” Will became the series’ breakout star. In retrospect, it was Harris’ scene-stealing, unhinged performance as Smith that kept the show alive for three more seasons.
Dr. Smith is a coward, a genius, a slacker, and an agent of an evil organization that cannot make the Robinson family’s mission succeed. Dr. John Robinson forgave Smith at the end of each episode and explained why they tolerated him despite his curling mustache.
Lost in Space managed to keep this setup running for three seasons with diminishing returns. An interesting plot, ridiculous performances, and cheap special effects made it an ’80s cult classic and cable TV staple.
Victims of the Darkness and Grit of the 90s Reboot craze
The original has lasting power, becoming a cult classic that has permeated pop culture. The 1998 film, starring Matt LeBlanc, was in his prime. friends The popularity of William Hurt, Heather Graham, Lacey Chabert, and the perfect casting of Gary Oldman as Dr. Smith made it a box office hit and then disappeared. Lost in Space(1998) Both the tone and visuals are noticeably darker.
It ditches the bright, desolate alien planet for a planet that seems to always be in shadow. It somehow involves time travel, sending the Robinson family to the future, with Will and Dr. Smith being the sole survivors of the expedition.
In case you forgot Heather Graham and Lacey Chabert (in her film debut) are Lost in Space(1998). It focuses like a laser on young Will as he deals with future Dr. Smith, and it works because Gary Oldman never gives less than 100 percent effort.
The story lacks any of the camp and charm of the original. This isn’t Smith’s over-the-top cartoon villain, but a deadly serious story that tries to be more like Star Trek than Star Trek. lost in space.
For some reason, Hollywood executives like to turn campy productions into serious ones that can be remade or rebooted decades later, thus losing all the appeal of the original. Look at the X-Men wearing black leather instead of their classic bright yellow uniforms, or Star Trek: Generations.
lost in space is the last sci-fi series that’s supposed to be dark and gritty. The movie was #1 at the box office, grossing over $130 million on a budget of $80 million, but it dropped like a stone when people actually watched it and realized that this was not the space action movie the trailers portrayed it to be, and if you think about it for 30 seconds, the plot makes no sense.
Netflix’s teen drama
But that didn’t stop Netflix from bringing the show up again in 2018, this time with Parker Posey as the newest Dr. Smith (sort of), and instead of just the Robinsons going into space, they’re part of a larger colony ship that’s been attacked by aliens. The expansion of the universe allowed the show to introduce different colonists over the seasons, but the show also updated the characters, turning eldest daughter Judy Robinson into a doctor and middle daughter Penny Robinson into a writer chronicling their experiences. The robot abandons the classic soft-arm design and adopts a sleeker, more refined chassis.
Netflix’s Lost in Space shifts the focus from Will and the robots to Judy and the family’s matriarch, Maureen Robinson (Molly Parker). This should work, especially the conflict between Parker’s Maureen and Posey’s Smith, but the CW’s teen drama-level writing is disappointing.
Every entry in the series has included at least a bit of romance between Judy and Don West, but Netflix’s update turns it into an 11th installment, with Judy falling in love with the expedition leader’s son, Vijay. It’s not a bad series, but it’s not what fans of the original wanted, despite the cameos from original stars, the best of which was Bill Mumy playing a different Dr. Smith.
From dark and gritty to teen drama, Lost in Space has been reimagined for different generations, but each time it falls short of expectations. The original is bombastic, funny, and delightful, which is why it’s been beloved by generations of sci-fi fans, and even if you’ve never seen the second installment in the series, you’ll recognize the robots.
Nowadays, studios need to add their own spin on every IP at their disposal, and in order to attract attention, they collectively decided that being a fun, low-stakes series that contained campy fun wasn’t enough to put into production. Instead, we have to endure a never-ending series of sci-fi shows filled with drama when all we want is a goofy robot waving its arms while villains curse who could have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those nosy kids.
