But....why?
Seriously, let's stop and think about this. Cannonball Run isn't exactly a universally beloved film or a broadly known franchise these days. Sure, some folks remember it, but not the demographic that the studio execs are targeting. So, it doesn't really make sense from the typical "branded property" angle, where the theory is that people will go see a film with a familiar name before they see a film that's completely new. So, again, what's the reason for doing this?
I can think of only a few reasons, but I'd be curious for insights from those in the industry itself:
1. It was originally a script about something else, and they just tacked on the name because, hey, why not, it might score them an extra million at the box office from the nostalgia viewers.
2. The studio was about to lose the rights to the film, and figured they might as well do a remake to keep the rights fresh.
3. Someone in the C-suite REALLY loves the original.
And...uh.......that's it. That's all I've got. Even more than the Ghostbusters remake, this one just seems like a film nobody was asking for. It doesn't hit the right demographics even for faux-nostalgia in the sense of kids wanting to see an updated version of something that's around 20-ish years old that slyly winks at the conventions of the day or whathaveyou.