Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

I saw X-Men First Class. For the record, I loved it. I went with my friend, who never watched the cartoons or read the comics or even saw the other four movies until I forced her. She had a lot of questions, and I found myself unable to answer them. Between the movies, comics, and cartoons there is no clear cut answer. Each retelling adds and subtracts and becomes a stand alone story.

The same is true for other popular heroes including Batman, Superman, and Spider Man. We love these stories and characters so much, we want new versions every few years.

Here are a few retellings I am excited about.

There is a new dark Red Riding Hood movie, with a big bad werewolf.


Amanda Seyfried is Red Riding Hood



Alex Finn's Beastly, is in my to-read pile. Where a witch turns an attractive, popular, high school bully into a Beast. This retelling of Beauty and the Beast is also set to be a movie.

Gregory Maguire, has written six novels that are all loose retellings of The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Cinderella, A Christmas Carol and the Tooth Fairy.



The (not-so) Wicked Witch

 The possibilities are endless. And I doubt anyone wants them to end. There is something wonderful about experiencing the same story in a new way, a different setting, a different time, a different character's point of view.

What are some recycled stories you love?

Are there any retellings you would love to write?