One of the most common trends in the film industry in the modern age is to take classic films of old and reboot them for today’s cinema-goers, and now it’s The Cincinnati Kid’s time for a remake.
There is such a vast catalogue to turn to, which includes a number of titles which may not have been perfectly suited to audiences at the time of their release but could be much better received today.
One such example would be The Cincinnati Kid, which could be a major hit in the poker-mad climate of the 21st century.
Poker is Much More Popular Now Than in the 1960s
Credit: MGM
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When Norman Jewison’s The Cincinnati Kid was released in 1963, the game was played by a select group of people in the United States, but its popularity had yet to spread around the world.
The World Series of Poker didn’t even exist at that time and, when the inaugural event took place in 1970, there were only six players competing.
Fast forward to 2019, and 8,569 people turned up to compete in the Main Event which was won by Hossein Ensan.
The internet has helped poker become one of the most popular card games in the world, with online poker being accessible to players of all abilities who like to play with a diverse range of stakes.
Thanks to this buzzing industry, poker is famous.
There are now television shows featuring the game, and all the major events are available for streaming.
This means there is greater awareness of the game, even among non-players.
The fact that poker is so widespread suggests that now is a much better time to release a poker movie than in the 1960s.
When The Cincinnati Kid came out, Steve McQueen was a major draw for viewers.
But they may have been confused about what was going on in the poker hands.
The modern viewer would most likely have some idea about which poker hands are the best, thanks to other poker films like Rounders and Casino Royale.
The Film Would Have toBe Adapted Slightly
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If a studio decided to reboot The Cincinnati Kid for modern viewers, it would have to be adapted slightly to be appealing.
One thing which would need altering is the strain of poker shown in the film.
When the original offering was released, stud poker was the best-known variant.
So, in the 1963 picture, McQueen’s character was seen playing five-card stud.
Nowadays, the most popular and best-known variant by far is Texas Hold’em.
A 21st-century reboot of the old poker film, therefore, would need to include this community version of the card game so that the majority of viewers are able to understand what is going on clearly.
With the distinct lack of poker movies on the market, and because Hollywood loves a reboot, now would be the perfect time for a new version of The Cincinnati Kid.
The original film received mixed reviews and may not have been too alluring to the audiences of its day, but there would doubtlessly be a massive audience for a new offering in 2020.
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Would you like to see a reboot of The Cincinnati Kid?
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