Hollywood’s well-documented obsession with remaking old hits doesn’t really bode well for the future of, uh, original content; after all, why pay actual writers a living wage to demonstrate their creativity when there’s existing IP to exploit?. But there’s no arguing that it’s led to some intriguing releases, from the 2021 Gossip Girl reboot (which just so happened to feature a guest spot from Vogue Runway’s very own fashion news editor, José Criales-Unzueta, thank you very much) to the upcoming Freakier Friday.
This past Super Bowl, though, as I watched Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal adorably reprise their iconic When Harry Met Sally roles for a…mayonnaise commercial, I couldn’t help feeling ever so slightly annoyed. Why are we suffering through endless God-awful remakes of things we didn’t even like that much in the first place when When Harry Met Sally remains as yet un-rebooted? Why, exactly, don’t I know what happened after Harry and Sally said “I do” and served their famous coconut wedding cake with chocolate sauce on the side? Why must I confront a mountain of TV reboots when I never even found out whether Harry and Sally left New York, had kids, tested out a trial separation, and/or opened their relationship? (This is a not-so-subtle pitch; someone hire me to write the reboot, stat!)
Of course, there’s definitely an argument to be made for leaving well enough alone, especially as it pertains to near-perfect rom-coms, and no mere mortal could reasonably expect to pen a worthy successor to Nora Ephron ’s original script. That said, is it crazy that I’d accept even a B-minus interpretation of Harry and Sally’s love story just to spend some time with those beloved characters again? I’d also love to catch up with Jess and Marie, Harry and Sally’s somewhat-smug couple friends; I’m no casting director, but I think placing Billie Lourd in her late mom Carrie Fisher’s role as the sardonic yet lovable Marie would bring a tear to pretty much everyone’s eye. (We miss you, Carrie!)
It’s entirely possible that if the industry powers that be had already elected to bring When Harry Met Sally back to the big screen (or—God help us—the small screen, as some sort of limited series on a streaming network), I would be turning up my nose at it and writing an outraged screed about how Hollywood was insulting the memory of one of the greatest sweater movies of all time. If the reboot were done correctly, though, I think it could be genuinely wonderful to spend time with two of the most pivotal sweeties in romantic-comedy history. (Maybe someone like Michaela Coel could get this right?)
Seriously, why isn’t Hollywood getting on this? Commission a script! Go out to some big names! Do I have to do everything?
