Stop rebooting my childhood

Hope Mallon
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Stop rebooting my childhood

Before the trailer even drops, most of us already know the whole plot and premise.

Another beloved animated classic reimagined in live action. Another superhero resurrected for a “new adventure.” Another sequel to a franchise that supposedly ended years ago.

Contrary to popular opinion, Hollywood is not suffering from a lack of ideas. It is suffering from a fear of risk. 

Hollywood’s growing dependence on rebooting movies and television shows prioritizes safe nostalgia over creative risk, weakening originality in the industry.

From theaters to streaming platforms, entertainment executives have made one thing clear: if audiences loved it once, they would love it again.

That logic explains the flood of recent reboots and revivals on mainstream media. On the film side, Disney has doubled down on live-action remakes like The Little Mermaid in 2023 and The Lion King in 2019, banking on nostalgia-driven ticket sales. Marvel’s Spiderman has also been recycled, with the latest movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, set to be released this July.

But the rebooting trend is even more obvious in television — especially when it comes to millennial and Gen Z childhood classics.

Nickelodeon revived iCarly for Paramount+ and Disney reimagined That’s So Raven with a sequel series, Raven’s Home. HBO Max rebooted Gossip Girl with a darker, Gen Z twist. Even Victorious, a beloved 2010’s sitcom, just released a plan for a revival via Netflix.

None of these shows were forgotten. They are now just being repackaged, or rather reworked.

“I feel like completely new shows with new plots are so rare nowadays,” said University of Miami freshman, Navya Maheshwari. “That’s why I feel like shows like Stranger Things did so well.”

To be fair, not every reboot lacks artistic merit. The new iCarly leaned into the characters’ adult lives while Raven’s Home featured new family dynamics. Many of these recent reboots have attempted to evolve with their audience. 

“I do like that the Disney and Nickelodeon reboots are more centered towards my age demographic,” said Tallulah Staeger, a freshman at the University of Miami. “Like I grew up with a show and now the characters are now in my same stage of life.”

Studios aren’t choosing reboots because writers have run out of ideas, rather they are choosing them because familiarity lowers financial risk. An established title comes with built-in recognition, social media buzz, and a cult-like fan base. Today attention is currency, and security matters more than originality.

However, when reboots dominate development slates, they crowd out fresh voices and new project ideas. Many original works struggle to secure the same marketing budget and focus as some of these household TV and movie names.

“I feel like the film and television field is very hard to begin with,” said Staeger. “I can only imagine trying to break into that field as a newcomer with a new or like unheard of concept or idea.”

Nostalgia also comes into play. Reboots often connect audiences to earlier versions of themselves — from family movie nights to afterschool hangouts with friends. Streaming platforms understand this emotional pull and try to monetize it.

Ironically, the franchises being revived today were once risks themselves. For example, That’s So Raven centered a Black teen girl with psychic powers at a time where that kind of representation was few and far between on Disney Channel. iCarly experimented with early internet culture and blogging before the influencer market was more than a billion-dollar industry. These shows were innovative in their time.

Now, the industry treats innovation as something to revisit and reminisce about rather than create again.

Streaming economics also amplifies this cycle. A study in 2023 found that 64% of gamers and 69% of entertainment fans prefer franchised content over something completely new. Data-driven decision-making reinforces what has worked before. In that environment, producing a new project isn’t just risky — it’s harder to justify on a spreadsheet.

“Breakout original series and films still do exist,” said UM freshman Kayla Jensen. “It is just harder for them to find visibility and get the true recognition they deserve.”

Overall, reboots don’t inherently “suck.” Many remain successful, especially in newer generations. However, an industry that relies too heavily on its past begins to fear its future.

Nostalgia can spark interest among viewers; however, it can’t replace imagination. If the film and television industry continues to prioritize safety over originality, audiences will eventually get tired of being sold the updated versions of the same stories.

And when nostalgia stops selling, Hollywood will have to remember how to create again.

Miami native Phil Lord and Chris Miller direct a rock in ‘Project Hail Mary’

Samantha Rodriguez
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Miami native Phil Lord and Chris Miller direct a rock in ‘Project Hail Mary’

The Oscar-winning directors prove you can find the same infectious chemistry they have with each other with the unlikeliest of people, or alien rock things, in their new film “Project Hail Mary.”

Teaming up with Ryan Gosling, Lord and Miller adapted Andy Weir’s novel of the same name into a heart-warming adventure.  In the film, Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher played by Gosling, wakes up from a coma in outer space forgetting who he is and why he is there. 

When he remembers he’s humanity’s last resort against an intergalactic threat that could kill the sun, he teams up with an alien that looks like a rock, Rocky, to save the universe.

“This movie is a Hail Mary in the story, but it’s also a Hail Mary on the set,” Lord said. “You’re like, ‘We know this is so hard, we’re pretty sure it’s impossible to pull off.’” 

Working with Gosling and the stunt crew to perfectly time a throw in the film was a literal hail mary they pulled off. Lord and Miller plan to do the impossible knowing their past teachers would want them to.

“We had an animation professor in college and he really believed in us,” Miller said. “He was hard on us because he believed that we could do great things, and he made us believe it.”

That professor, David Ehrlich, is from Dartmouth College, where he now works as a visiting professor and still wears purple, his signature color.

“If I get a call before 6a.m. and it wakes me up, I always think it’s him,” Lord said. “He used to call and say, ‘You didn’t turn your assignment in? Where is it?’”

That love for the people who inspired them to be great can be seen in Gosling’s performance. Using tape and inflatable planets, he explains how the sun is dying to his middle schoolers, which helps us understand the stakes and learn he is absolutely the most qualified man to fix it.

“Project Hail Mary” teaches us to find hope in the smallest of miracles and work for, not just believe in, a better tomorrow. Picking yourself back up can show you new ways to tackle a problem and, in Lord and Miller’s case, help make a good scene into an unforgettable one.

“One thing we’ve done more and more as filmmakers is make sure that we’re very prepared for what we need to get but then make sure that we’re flexible and open and ready to pivot if a new idea comes along,” Miller said. “I think that has led to some of the most memorable parts of this movie and other things that we’ve done.”

Miami men’s tennis secures first ACC win over Clemson

Max Diaz
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Miami men’s tennis secures first ACC win over Clemson

The University of Miami men’s tennis team secured its first conference win with a 4-0 sweep over the Clemson Tigers (6-10, 2-4 ACC) on Sunday afternoon.

To start off the day, the Canes (8-8, 1-5 ACC) took the doubles point despite Jakub Kroslak and Mehdi Sadaoui losing in the top doubles match, 6-3. 

UM was able to secure the point thanks to wins from Antonio Prat and Rafael Segado, who had a 6-4 win over Henrik Bladelius and Marko Mesarovic, and Nacho Serra Sanchez and Jules Garot, who had the a close opening win, 7-6 (4), against Matisse Farzam and Yannic Nittmann.

Onto singles play, No. 98 Prat earned a commanding 6-3, 6-1 win over Noa Vukadin in the court one matchup, while Kroslak kept the hot start rolling with a 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory over Farzam to extend their lead.

Finally, Serra Sanchez notched his highest ranked win of his career after defeating No. 48 Markov, 1-6, 6-3, 6-0, in a match-clinching win for Miami.

 Next up, the Hurricanes will head west to Dallas, Texas, to face SMU on Friday.

Miami rowing dominates season opener with statement weekend in Oak Ridge 

Bella Armstrong
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Miami rowing dominates season opener with statement weekend in Oak Ridge 

The first race of a season always carries a certain tension. Months of winter training finally meet open water, and the answers arrive in six-minute bursts.

For Miami rowing, those answers came quickly.

By the end of the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational weekend on Melton Lake, the Hurricanes had not only found speed — they had made a statement.

Miami opened Saturday’s racing with a series of tight battles against ranked competition. The third varsity eight got the Hurricanes started with a second-place finish in 6:58.8, edging No. 19 Duke and Wisconsin, setting the tone for the morning.

Then came the first varsity eight.

In the final race of the morning session, Miami’s top boat delivered one of the day’s most dramatic finishes, battling Duke stroke-for-stroke before crossing just behind the Blue Devils in a surgically thin margin. Duke finished in 6:32.0, and Miami followed just six-tenths of a second later.

If that race announced Miami’s speed, the afternoon confirmed it.

The crew of Scarlett Pringle, Naroa Zubimendi Varela, Jovana Stanivuk, Samantha Premerl, Mallory Sullivan, Esther Fuerte Chacón, Candela Martinez Pernas, Maria Sole Perugino and Beatrice Ravini Perelli closed Saturday’s racing with authority, powering to a 6:27.9 victory over Alabama, North Carolina and Navy — the fastest time of the entire afternoon session.

“That was a positive start to our 2026 campaign against some tough competition,” head coach James Mulcahy said. “There were some ups and downs, but we’re very pleased with how the crews stayed focused and intent on their own performances.”

On Sunday, all three varsity eight crews captured victories to close the regatta.

The third varsity eight opened the morning with a win in 6:56.1 over Notre Dame, Wisconsin and No. 25 Oklahoma. The second varsity eight followed with a commanding performance, finishing in 6:41.2 to secure its first victory of the season.

Photo credit: @CanesRowing via X // Miami Hurricanes rowing races against Riddle Aeronautical University in Dayton Beach, Fla. in a scrimmage on Feb. 28, 2026.

Then the first varsity eight returned to the water — and delivered again.

Miami’s top crew crossed the line in 6:30.0 to defeat No. 25 Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Wisconsin, marking its second victory of the weekend and the second time the Hurricanes posted the fastest overall time of the day.

Meanwhile, Miami’s varsity fours stayed firmly in contention. The 2V4 finished just inches shy of victory clocking 7:32.5 behind Oklahoma’s 7:32.1, while the 1V4 added another runner-up result in 7:31.3.

For Mulcahy, the weekend’s results were encouraging not only for the wins, but for the growth across a roster filled with newcomers.

“We’re proud of the way the team handled their first regatta of the year,” Mulcahy said. “Crews improved over the course of their three races and did a great job controlling what they could control and not getting distracted.”

Three varsity eight wins. Two fastest times of the day. And a season opener that left little doubt about Miami’s speed.

At the beginning of a season, that’s exactly the kind of message a team wants to send.

Miami returns to action next Saturday in Fellsmere, Fla., where the Hurricanes will face Columbia.

Hurricanes women’s tennis defeat rival Seminoles in dominant ACC Sweep

Ali Campbell
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Hurricanes women’s tennis defeat rival Seminoles in dominant ACC Sweep

The Miami Hurricanes’ women’s tennis team excelled against their rival, Florida State, on Monday morning.

Although the match was postponed due to the unpredictable South Florida weather, the Canes remained red-hot. The team improved its record to an impressive 9-2, maintaining its undefeated status in ACC play after the sweep at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. 

The match, originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon, was pushed to the next morning. However, this delay did little to affect Miami’s strong momentum.

The Hurricanes set the tone early on in two doubles wins, securing the opening point. Senior Raquel Gonzalez and Freshman Dominika Podhajecka were able to secure a win against the Florida State duo of Eva Shaw and Tina Li with a 6-4 win at the top court. Moments after, Sebastianna Scilipoti and Sofia Rocchetti battled back to defeat Laura Putz and Abby Kelliher by an identical 6-4 score.  

Singles play saw Miami pull away with efficient blowout victories. Scilipoti provided a spark on court three, completely dismantling Florida State’s Laura Putz in a dominant 6-0, 6-2 performance.

Sophomore Aely Arai followed this performance on court four with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Tina Li to put Miami on the brink of a clinch. Before the Seminoles had any hopes of a comeback, Podhajecka delivered a 6-2, 6-2 win over FSU’s Cade Cricchio to complete the Hurricane victory. 

When play was halted, Miami held leads on two of the remaining three courts. No. 94 Gonzalez led No. 125 Eva Shaw at the top court, while Rocchetti was holding on to a lead of 6-4, 5-2 on court two. 

Miami will look to extend its winning streak on Wednesday as they remain at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center to host Old Dominion.                                 

Hurricanes lose 20-10 to Duke in seven innings, drop second straight ACC Series

Zach Cohen
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Hurricanes lose 20-10 to Duke in seven innings, drop second straight ACC Series

Every weekend seems to go the same way for the Miami Hurricanes baseball team in 2026.

On Friday, AJ Ciscar has a solid start that gets spoiled. Saturday, Rob Evans throws a gem en route to a win. And on Sunday’s rubber match, pitching falls apart and the Canes drop the series.

That script was used this weekend in Durham, as the Hurricanes were run-ruled in seven innings on Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field, losing to the Duke Blue Devils 20-10. It’s the first time since 2022 that UM surrendered 20 runs in a game.

Miami head coach J.D. Aretaga made some changes to the offense that worked, but the pitching has become the team’s Achilles’ heel. After winning 9-0 on Saturday to force a rubber match on Sunday, the Canes used eight pitchers in seven innings, allowing runs in at least six of those innings.

Six of the eight pitchers went two-thirds of an inning or less.

The Blue Devils struck first with a four-run first inning despite tallying just one hit. With the bases loaded due to errors and walks, catcher Matthew Strand unloaded on a 1-2 pitch to left field for a grand slam. 

The Hurricanes cut the deficit in half in the second, as Fabio Peralta’s RBI single to right field brought home Derek Williams and a Vance Sheahan single scored Brylan West. Peralta, in his first game of the series, led the team with three hits and one RBI.

Up 4-2 after two innings, Duke extended its lead in the third as Strand hit another home run, a two-run shot to right field. The Duke catcher finished the afternoon going 2-for-3 with six RBIs.

The Hurricanes came storming back with a four-run inning in the fourth to put UM back within reach. With two-on, Daniel Cuvet roped a three-run home run to left field, his first since Feb. 25 against FAU.

Just like Friday, errors played dividends for Miami. A big mishap was in the bottom of the fourth when Peralta made a costly throwing error to allow Collin Anderson to score from first on a double from shortstop Jake Lambdin. 

Down 8-6 going into the fifth, The Canes found their way back in front. Cuvet doubled to score second basemen Jake Ogden and catcher Alex Sosa followed that up with a 418-foot blast to the deepest part of the yard, giving Miami a 9-8 lead.

David Lebowitz, Photo Editor/ Junior Third Baseman Daniel Cuvet winds up to throw to first on Friday, February 13, 2026.

That lead would vanish quickly.

The Blue Devils (15-7, 3-3 ACC)  scored nine runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth inning with three different Hurricanes taking the mound to put away the Duke bats.

Down 18-10 in the bottom of the seventh, Duke first baseman Brooks Perez hit a two-run shot to walk it off as the mercy rule was in effect.

Any given day, 10 runs should win you the ball game but when your pitching is not on the same page with the bats and it is hard to win a game, especially for this iteration of the Miami Hurricanes.

With high aspirations to begin the season, frustration is looming from the program and its fans.

The Hurricanes (14-6, 2-4 ACC) can turn it around, but it will have to be sooner rather than later.

Miami will travel back home and head about 30 minutes down the road to face FIU on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

David Lebowitz, Photo Editor/ Fifth-Year Senior Outfielder Derek Williams extends his foot towards foot base against Florida on Febrauary 27, 2026.

Hurricanes finish indoor season at NCAA Championships

Siobhan Farrell
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Hurricanes finish indoor season at NCAA Championships

Wrapping up the indoor track season, The Miami Hurricanes competed Friday going into Saturday, at the NCAA Indoor Championships at Randal Tyson Track Center. Facing off against the nation’s top collegiate athletes in Fayetteville, Ark.

Miami opened competition Friday with several strong individual performances. ACC champion Tania Da Silva represented the Hurricanes in the women’s weight throw, placing 13th with a throw of 20.57 meters. 

In the women’s 800m, Natalie Varela finished 14th overall, recording a time of 2:03.68 against a competitive national field. 

Concluding the day, ACC 400m champion Ace Malone competed in the semifinal round of the 400m, running a time of 45.89 and placing 11th overall. 

The Hurricanes returned to competition on Saturday to close out both the championship meet and their indoor season, as 10 proved to be the lucky number of the day. 

Kennedy Sauder opened the day for the Hurricanes in the high jump, clearing 2.15m with a 10th place finish

Going off of the 10th place theme, the men’s 4x400m relay of Sean Watkins Jr., George Franks, Ace Malone and Dominique Hall concluded the meet with a time of 3:06.62.

With the indoor season complete, the next meet will be the opener for the outdoor season with the Hurricane Invitational at Cobb Stadium. 

March Madness Canes: Miami clinches NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023

Jayden Gonzalez
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March Madness Canes: Miami clinches NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023

The Miami Hurricanes are going dancing.

Following a historic 25-8 season under first-year head coach Jai Lucas, the Hurricanes men’s basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2023. 

The last time the Canes were in March Madness, the team — led by Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong — went to the Final Four for the first time in program history.

The Hurricanes will be a seventh seed in March Madness, facing the No. 10 seed Missouri Tigers in St. Louis, Mo. on Friday, March 20. Tip-off at the Enterprise Center is to be announced.

The Tigers finished the season 20-12 and 10-8 in SEC play, losing to Kentucky 78-72 in the first round of the SEC Tournament.

Just a year ago, the Hurricanes finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 7-24 record, the worst season in the program’s history — on par with the 1971 team that saw men’s basketball dropped by the University the next year.

On March 6, 2025, Lucas took over as the program’s 14th head coach, looking to bring men’s basketball back to its former glory.

The program did a total rehaul, having zero players from last year’s team in this current rendition of the Canes. Connected by their Florida roots, players like Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau led Miami to a third place finish in the ACC.

Reneau, a senior transfer from Indiana, earned First Team All-ACC honors, averaging 18.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Donaldson, a Michigan transfer, was named Second Team All-ACC, finishing his senior year averaging 16.5 points and 5.8 assists.

The Canes won 25 games in Lucas’ first year, the most by a rookie Miami head coach. After taking down Louisville in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, UM lost to Virginia in the semifinals.

A run in the NCAA Tournament is unlikely, but never impossible in March. Lucas has this Miami program well ahead of schedule and has the potential to take this team to a level it hasn’t seen since the Hurricanes incredible run three years ago.

David Lebowitz, Photo Editor/ Head Coach Jai Lucas looks toward the court on March 12, 2026 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Canes Men’s Tennis remains winless in ACC play

Luca Mucciardi
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Canes Men’s Tennis remains winless in ACC play

The Miami Hurricanes men’s tennis team (7-8, 0-5 ACC) fell 4-2 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-6, 1-4 ACC) Friday night in Atlanta. 

Miami would start well, with the pairing of Nacho Serra Sanchez and Mehdi Sadaoui winning the first doubles match 6-2. But Georgia Tech had a comeback in the works, started by a 6-3 victory over Antonio Prat and Jakub Kroslak on court one. 

The Yellow Jackets would seal the doubles point after a down to the wire match between the teams of Jonathan Irwanto and Richard Biagiotti against Jules Garot and Rafael Segado. Garot and Segado took a 5-2 lead, but Biagiotti and Irwanto would win 5 games in a row for a 7-5 match victory. 

With singles matches beginning, Mehdi Sadaoui tied it up with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory on court 5. 

No. 98 Antonio Prat would give the Canes their first lead of the day with a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory over Christophe Clement on the top court.

But then, Georgia Tech got back to their comeback ways, winning the final three matches. 

Carlini would win a three-set thriller over Kroslak on court three, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. 

Back-to-back three-set losses from Saud Alhogbani on court six and Serra Sanchez on court 2, would ultimately seal the Hurricanes fate. 

The win drops Miami to 0-5 in conference play as it looks to break its winless drought on Saturday in Clemson.

Miami picks up a bounce back 9-0 win against Duke

Zach Cohen
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Miami picks up a bounce back 9-0 win against Duke

After getting shut out in the series opener, Miami flipped the script in game two, defeating the Duke Devils 9–0 at Jack Coombs Field.

With both the bats and the pitching staff delivering, the Hurricanes had all the pieces working in a dominant performance. The standout pitching performance marked Miami’s first ACC shutout since 2023.

Hurricanes starter Rob Evans has pitched very well all season and continued that against the Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon. He threw 6.2 innings, struck out five, gave up four hits while allowing no runs. 

Evans threw 104 pitches and sits two strikeouts away from career number 100.

Duke’s starter, junior Matthew Nochowitz only secured two outs in the first inning before being taken out in what appeared to be an elbow injury. 

Senior Jake Ogden walked to lead off the game then junior third baseman Daniel Cuvet doubled. Ogden then scored on a wild pitch while Cuvet moved to third to open the scoring. 

Right fielder Derek Williams hit a sacrifice fly to center field that brought Cuvet home. 

With Brylan West on second base after a walk and a stolen base, freshman Alonzo Alvarez singled to allow West to score.

Duke’s pitching struggles continued as reliever Marcello Mastroianni gave up two hits and four runs. 

In the second inning, Miami rallied with two outs and the bases juiced. Williams was hit by a pitch to walk in a run then West walked to bring another run home. 

With the bases still loaded, Alvarez hit another single to bring home two runners and extend the lead to 7-0.

Going into the third Ogden singled to right center which brought the speedy Mikey Torres home.

Duke’s pitching steadied and allowed limited damage after the first three innings of the game. 

Miami put the finishing touches on the Blue Devils when Williams hit a solo blast to left field in the top of the ninth to make it a 9-0 ballgame.

Austin Peay transfer Lyndon Glidewell was phenomenal in relief, going 2.1 innings and only allowing one hit while striking out five batters.

The middle game of the three game set was a big turnaround for Miami. The Canes will look to take the series in the rubber game at Jack Coombs Field.

First pitch is set for 11 a.m on Sunday.

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