A new report indicates that the upcoming The Lost Boys remake on The CW will race swap one of the main characters.
According to a report by Deadline, actor Branden Cook will take on the lead role of Garrett.
Deadline details that Garrett along with his younger brother and mother will move to a North Carolina seaside community. In this town they will “discover the sinister reason the local cool kids sleep all day, party all night, never grow up and never get old.” Deadline adds, “Family bonds are tested as the brothers find themselves on opposite sides of a mythological struggle.”
Related: Theory: Gugu Mbatha-Raw To Play Gender And Race Swapped Mr. Alternity in Loki
Not only do they appear to be race swapping one of the main characters, but it also appears they are creating brand new characters, but maintaining similar backstories. Fans of The Lost Boys film also know that there is not a character by the name of Garrett in the film. The two brothers are named Michael and Sam played by Jason Patric and Cory Haim respectively.
Not only are they changing Michael and Sam, but Kiefer Sutherland’s character of David also appears to be getting changed. Deadline details that Lincoln Younes will play Benjamin. He’s described as “the charismatic leader of the gang of vampires in the town.” Deadline even notes, “It is a version of the David character played in the movie by Kiefer Sutherland.”
They also reveal that Ruby Cruz will play a character named Elsie. They explain Elise is “a version of Jami Gertz’s character Star in the movie, who sparks with the new guy in town, Garrett.”
They also appear to be changing the setting of the story as well. In the original film, they don’t travel to North Carolina. They go to the small beach town of Santa Carla in California.
This isn’t the first time The CW attempted to get a reboot of The Lost Boys off the ground. YouTuber Matthew Kadish details that a pilot of the show was rejected back in August 2019.
According to Deadline the original pilot actually featured the characters from the films and was going to take place in Santa Carla. It also was going to star Tyler Posey as Michael and Kiele Sanchez as his mother, Lucy. Michael’s brother was going to be played by Rio Mangini. Del Zamora was expected to play Michael and Sam’s grandfather, Frank Garcia.
This race-swapping is just the latest in an ever-growing list of race swaps coming from modern Hollywood. Recently race-swaps were announced for Disney’s upcoming live-action Little Mermaid movie.
Other race swaps include The Batman’s Catwoman, Castlevania’s Isaac, Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Baron Mordo in Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four’s Johnny Storm, Man of Steel’s Perry White, Deadshot in Suicide Squad, Heimdall in the MCU, and DC Universe’s Titan’s Starfire. The upcoming Mortal Kombat film also race swapped Raiden and Milena.
The CW has a lengthy history of race swapping especially in the Arrowverse. Some notable race swaps in the Arrowverse include The Flash’s Iris West, Supergirl’s Jimmy Olsen, Supergirl’s Manchester Black, The Flash’s Wally West, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’s Hawkgirl.
What do you think of yet another remake featuring a race swap coming to TV? Let me know your thoughts about the upcoming The Lost Boys TV show!