Reboot (fiction)

In serial fiction, the term "reboot" signifies a new start to an established fictional universe, work, or series. A reboot discards continuity to re-create its characters, plotlines and backstory from the beginning. It has been described as a way to "rebrand" or "restart an entertainment universe that has already been established".
Another definition of a reboot is a remake which is part of an established film series or other media franchise. The term has been criticised for being a vague and "confusing" "buzzword", and a neologism for remake, a concept which has been losing popularity since the 2010s. William Proctor proposes that there is a distinction between reboots, remakes and retcons.
Origin.
The term is thought to originate from the computing term "reboot", meaning to restart a computer system. There is a change in meaning: the computing term refers to restarting the exact same unaltered program, while the term discussed here refers to recreating a new version of the old program. The first known use of reboot applied to an entertainment franchise was in a 1994 Usenet posting.
Types.
Reboots cut out non-essential elements associated with a pre-established franchise and start it anew, distilling it down to the core elements that made the source material popular. For audiences, reboots allow easier entry for newcomers unfamiliar with earlier titles in a series.
Reboots can be cut into soft and hard reboots. Soft reboot follows pre-existing story while still starting anew in many ways. Hard reboot in turn allows any kind of changes and doesn't expand the old canon.
Comic books.
In comic books, a long-running title may have its continuity erased to start over from the beginning, enabling writers to redefine characters and open up new story opportunities, allowing the title to bring in new readers. Comic books sometimes use an in-universe explanation for a reboot, such as merging parallel worlds and timelines together, or destroying a fictional universe and recreating it from the beginning.
Film.
With reboots, filmmakers revamp and reinvigorate a film series to attract new fans and stimulate revenue. A reboot can renew interest in a series that has grown stale. Reboots act as a safe project for a studio, since a reboot with an established fanbase is less risky (in terms of expected profit) than an entirely original work, while at the same time allowing the studio to explore new demographics. Reboots also allow directors and producers to cast a new set of younger actors for the familiar roles of a film series to attract a younger audience. Unlike a remake, however, a reboot often presupposes a working familiarity on the part of the audience with the original work.
Television.
In television, a reboot of a TV show can be a return to production after cancellation or a long hiatus, but a continuation is usually also understood to mean either a sequel or a remake of an older series.
A related concept is retooling, used to describe a series that substantially changes its premise while keeping some of the core characters while the series is still running, usually in an effort to forestall cancellation.
Video games.
Reboots and remakes are common in the video game industry. Remakes in video games are used to refresh the storyline and elements of the game and to take advantage of technology and features not available at the time of earlier entries.