La Bamba is a classic. It's part of the Criterion Collection, and in 2017 it was added to the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress for being culturally significant.
One would think that a film with that much cache would be left alone, but a beloved property is also a valuable one, and Hollywood has really leaned into musical biopics in the last few years. The tragic life of Ritchie Valens lends itself well to the big screen, and Sony Pictures has decided to go back to the well with a remake.
The remake will take a fresh look at Ritche Valens' life
Calling a musical biopic a remake is a little strange, given that it's based on true events, but this is the particular wording that Sony and Mas Media has used. The studios are joining forces with Luis Valdez, the writer and director of the 1987 film, to adapt Valens' life story for a new generation.
Valdez will be involved as an executive producer this time around, while Jose Rivera will pen the screenplay. A director has not yet been announced, nor has a star, according to Variety. The original film helped to launch the careers of both Esai Morales and Lou Diamond Phillips.
La Bamba is currently streaming on Sling
It'll be fascinating to see how different the remake will be, but one way to pass the time until then is to revisit the original on streaming! La Bamba is not on Netflix or Hulu, unfortunately, but the 1987 film is available to stream on Philo and Sling.
If you don't have a subscription to either, you can also check out the film by renting it on various other platforms, including Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Apple TV and Fandango. We suggest going to Prime, since the rental price $3.59, and the rest are offering the film for $3.99 (small difference, but still).
If you're curious about the other musical biopics that Hollywood has in the works, we suggest checking out the list below!