10 Best Sci-Fi Movie Reboots Of All Time, Ranked

We are living in the age of film and television reboots, which has resulted in some excellent franchise resurgences. From revived movie sagas to the return of classic TV shows, nostalgia is currently the top dog in Hollywood. When it comes to the science fiction genre, many fan-favorites have been rebooted over the years, and while they don't always work, there are plenty that have lived up to their predecessors. 

When choosing the best sci-fi movie reboots, there's a lot to consider. While audiences still want the films to honor the source material, a reboot should also feel like a fresh addition or a restart to a franchise. If a reboot is promised, folks do not want to see a straightforward remake. 

Remakes are also prevalent in sci-fi, but you will not see any of those on this list. While films like "The Thing" (1982) and "The Fly" (1986) are some of the best in history, they are strictly remakes, not reboots. For clarification, remakes tend to copy the story of the original film. Meanwhile, a revival is a continuation of a story that typically happens after a long break — for example, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Revivals will also not be featured on this list. 

With all of that in mind, here are our picks for the 10 best science fiction movie reboots, ranked.

Judge Dredd is a comic book character who first debuted in "2000 AD #2" in 1977. The character lives in a dystopian future city called Mega-City One. In this world, police are called "street judges," and have the power to arrest, convict, and even execute criminals. The comics are a commentary on authoritarianism and police brutality, and have been adapted into two feature films.

In 1995, Sylvester Stallone starred in the film "Judge Dredd," which followed the titular character as he was framed for murder by his own half-brother. Directed by Danny Cannon, that film was panned by critics and fans alike. But in 2012, Lionsgate released a reboot titled "Dredd" starring Karl Urban. In this version, Dredd teams up with a psychic rookie played by Olivia Thirlby, and when the duo gets trapped in a high-rise block, they must fight their way through and confront its nefarious leader — a drug lord named Ma-Ma (Lena Headey). 

"Dredd" was written by Alex Garland, who later admitted to "ghost directing" the film. The movie was shot primarily in 3D and was a raucous good time with a crowd. The high-octane project was filled with great gore and action, and had a better understanding of the source material than the 1995 film. Sadly, "Dredd 2" was never going to happen, and another reboot was revealed to be in development in 2025. 

After many attempts to adapt "The Fantastic Four," Marvel Studios finally got it right in 2025 with "The Fantastic Four: The First Steps." Marvel's first family debuted in comics in "The Fantastic Four #1" in 1961. The story followed the heroic adventures of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing. A low-budget adaptation from legendary producer Roger Corman was made in 1994, but was never officially released. (That project was a disaster by design because Constantin Film president Bernd Eichinger wanted to hold on to the rights.) 

The next attempt to adapt the iconic Marvel team came in 2005. While "Fantastic Four" wasn't favored by critics or Marvel fans, it was a hit at the box office and spawned a sequel in 2007. Over time, fans have gained a nostalgic appreciation for those two films, partially thanks to Chris Evans' performance as Human Torch, which he reprised to humorous effect in "Deadpool & Wolverine" in 2024. Fans also stopped being so hard on the 2000s films thanks to the 2015 reboot, which was such a colossal failure that it made the previous attempts look good. 10 years later, "The Fantastic Four: The First Steps" entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and fans were finally satisfied.

While the newest Fantastic Four film is not perfect, it does so much more than any adaptation before it. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn were great in the lead roles, and director Matt Shakman leaned into a 1960s aesthetic that honored the comics in a delightful way. As the best-reviewed FF movie, "The First Steps" was a welcome addition to the MCU, and fans are eager to see the characters again in "Avengers: Doomsday" in 2026. 

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was not the first attempt at rebooting the "Planet of the Apes" film franchise, but it was easily the best. The story of "Planet of the Apes" began with French author Pierre Boulle's 1963 novel, "La Planète des singes." It was adapted into a film in 1968, which quickly became an iconic entry in the sci-fi catalog. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston, "Planet of the Apes" spawned four sequels between 1970 and 1973. In 2001, Tim Burton made his own version of "Planet of the Apes," which was a failure creatively despite making a decent amount of money. 

10 years later, the franchise found new life on the big screen with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." Directed by Rupert Wyatt, the film tells the origin of Caesar (Andy Serkis), the ape who would lead his brethren to freedom, eventually making apes Earth's dominant species. While some might argue that "Rise" is a prequel, Caesar's story does not line up with his origins from the original films. Set in modern times, the reboot shows Caesar growing into his advanced intelligence, which was gained due to experiments that were performed on his mother.  

"Rise" earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects, and laid the groundwork for Matt Reeves' follow-up films, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "War for the Planet of the Apes." In 2024, seven years after the reboot trilogy came to an end, a standalone sequel was released titled "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," and another entry is currently in development.  

"Flash Gordon" (1980) is the oldest reboot to make our list. While this version of "Flash Gordon" is the most widely recognized, the franchise is nearly a century old. The space adventure comic strip was created by Alex Raymond and followed the titular character, an American athlete who found himself adventuring in space. Debuting in 1934, the Sunday comic strip ran until 2003. Meanwhile, the daily strip ran between 1940 and 1944, and again between 1951 and 1992. 

The first onscreen adaptation of "Flash Gordon" was released in 1936. Buster Crabbe played the titular hero in three serial films, with his final outing debuting in 1940. 40 years later, the character returned in Mike Hodges' feature film. The movie starred Sam J. Jones, who had to audition for nearly a year before landing the part, as well as Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, and Timothy Dalton. Despite being cheesy and over-the-top, the movie earned three BAFTA nominations, including a nod for the film's incredible music by Queen. 

Many decades later, the project is considered a cult classic. The movie is colorful and fun, and never takes itself seriously. Its cheeky attitude allows audiences to laugh with it, not at it. Over the years, there have been attempts to reboot the franchise yet again. In 2021, it was reported that Taika Waititi was making a live-action project, but there have been no recent updates from the director. 

"Star Trek" is one of many franchises on this list that's had a long and interesting life. When the original series debuted in 1966, no one could have predicted its staying power. There have been many television follow-ups throughout the years, in addition to films that tie in with said shows. While most of the "Star Trek" projects are set in the "Prime Universe," J.J. Abrams' 2009 film rebooted the franchise, which created the "Kelvin Timeline." 

"Star Trek" (2009) is a great example of a reboot done right. The film remains true to the original series characters while adding a new edge to their story. For example, Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldaña) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) are romantically involved in this version. Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman also found a clever way to include Leonard Nimoy's Spock, which was unexpected when the project was first announced. While the film is set in its own universe, it is canonically an alternate timeline of the original tale. 

The rebooted "Star Trek" was a massive financial success and earned four Academy Award nominations, taking home the prize for Best Makeup. The movie also spawned two sequels, "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Star Trek Beyond." While the follow-ups were not as well-liked as the first installment, fans have been hoping for a fourth entry for the last decade. In 2025, franchise star Simon Pegg said another film still might happen, but later that year, in the wake of the Paramount/Skydance merger, the studio's new corporate owners seemingly decided to abandon that idea once and for all. Months after that report came out, the future of "Star Trek" remains unclear. 

There have been many iterations of Superman over the years, but James Gunn's 2025 reboot is one of the best. The iconic DC Comics character debuted in "Action Comics #1" in 1938, and nearly 90 years later, he is one of the most recognized superheroes of all time. Superman has been frequently adapted for film and television, but his live-action debut came in the form of serials in 1948. Superman's proper film career began with Richard Donner's 1978 adaptation starring Christopher Reeve. Reeve went on to star in three sequels, and it would take nearly two decades for Superman to be seen on the big screen again. 

In 2006, Bryan Singer helmed "Superman Returns," starring Brandon Routh as the titular hero. That movie never got a sequel, and the character was rebooted on film once again when the DC Extended Universe debuted. Henry Cavill first played the character in Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" in 2013, and continued to do so for a handful of DC films. While Snyder's take on DC has its (very loud) fans, many thought his take on the Superman character was utter nonsense. 

Which brings us to Gunn's 2025 reboot. Gunn became the co-head of DC Studios in 2022 and revealed he would be creating a new DC Universe that wasn't beholden to the projects that came before. While he is not directing every film entry himself, he did take on "Superman" and proved to be the perfect person for the job. His "Superman" felt like a comic book come to life, which is what was lacking from the Snyder era. There is a wholesome charm to the film, buoyed by David Corenswet's lead performance, which helped it become a critical and box office success. The movie's follow-up, "Man of Tomorrow," is scheduled to be released in 2027.

The original "The Invisible Man" was an 1897 novel by H.G. Wells and was loosely adapted into a pre-code film by Universal Pictures in 1933. There were five sequels, including "Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man," that were released between 1940 and 1951. The movies did not connect as coherently as other Universal monster movies, such as the "Frankenstein" films, and have not had the same staying power as a result. Japanese filmmakers made their own versions, "The Invisible Man Appears" in 1949 and "The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly" in 1957.

While various movies about invisible men were made throughout the years, including "Hollow Man" in 2000, Universal did not officially touch the franchise again until the 2020 reboot, also titled "The Invisible Man." While the 1933 version focused on a doctor who discovers the secret to invisibility and subsequently goes mad, the 2020 version puts the focus on the titular monster's victim. 

Written and directed by Leigh Whannell, the film stars Elizabeth Moss as a woman trying to escape an abusive relationship with a rich optics engineer. Once he unlocks the key to invisibility, he begins to torment her, and naturally, no one believes her. The film is an intense psychological thriller that showcases gaslighting and abuse in a terrifying new way. The project had a successful run at the box office despite COVID-19 shutting down theaters during its fourth week of release. While there have been calls for a sequel, nothing is officially in the works. 

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is a cherished franchise that began with comics in 1984. Created by  Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, what started as a one-shot concept turned into a massive hit. The pizza-loving, butt-kicking, sewer-dwelling teen turtles have been the focus of seven TV shows, eight movies, multiple video games, and an array of merch. The characters have been featured in animation and live-action, most notably the 1990 feature film from director Steve Barron. 

There have been multiple "TMNT" reboots over the years, but the 2023 animated film "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" is among the best. The movie was praised by both critics and fans for having a bold new take on the story while treating the characters like actual kids. The movie is silly, lively, and features a spectacular voice cast. Its unique animation style also helps it stand apart from other adaptations of its kind; the film's stylized CGI uses components of 2D animation to give the animation a sketchbook-style appearance. 

Surprisingly, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" did not receive a Best Animated Feature nod at the Academy Awards. Fans were pretty disappointed at the time, but there's always hope for the sequel, which is currently in the works and slated to hit theaters in 2027.

The "Dune" franchise has a long history, but its recent renaissance can be attributed to director Denis Villeneuve. "Dune" began as a novel by Frank Herbert, which was released in 1965. He wrote five sequels before his death in 1986, and over the next 30 years, Herbert's son Brian and author Kevin J. Anderson would write 23 follow-up books. 

In 1984, David Lynch helmed an adaptation of "Dune," which was a box office bomb that seemingly killed any chance of a franchise. The Sci-Fi Channel also released a miniseries in 2000, but it was Villeneuve's 2021 film that proved an adaptation could be done properly. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, and features big names such as Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, and more.

While one could argue that "Dune: Part One" counts as a remake, the fact that it delves deeper into Herbert's novels is why we consider it a reboot. It's also the first part of a trilogy, which is expected to come to an end in 2026. In 2024, a prequel television series titled "Dune: Prophecy" debuted on HBO. "Dune: Part One" won six Academy Awards, including Best Visual Effects, Best Score, and Best Cinematography. 

Godzilla, AKA the King of Monsters, is a staple of cinema who's had one of the longest big-screen runs in history. The beloved kaiju made his cinematic debut in the 1954 Japanese classic, "Godzilla." Over the course of nearly 75 years, Godzilla has appeared in 33 Japanese films and five American movies. The pop culture icon has also been seen in other forms of media, including video games, comics, and television shows. 

When it comes to Godzilla reboots, there have been many solid entries, but none hit audiences as hard as "Godzilla Minus One." Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the recent franchise entry does one thing very differently from most kaiju movies by providing human characters who are as interesting as the kaiju action. In addition to being a great monster film, the 2024 reboot recaptured what made the original so meaningful. In 1954, Japan was still recovering from the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The country was in pain, and Godzilla was the perfect metaphor for nuclear weapons. "Godzilla Minus One" brought the monster back to postwar Japan and reminded audiences that a Godzilla movie can be as emotionally compelling as it is badass. 

"Godzilla Minus One" won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, and a sequel titled "Godzilla Minus Zero" is set to be released in 2026.