Adapting or remaking an existing film allows new film makers to channelize their vision of a story that has already been told and which has strong resonance with the audiences. It also helps open up new audiences for the story. At times, a great film made in one country is amenable for remake in another country given that they have similar cultural sensibilities and/ or audience tastes.
Film makers prefer to adapt an existing film because it lets them use a fresh approach to a familiar story. The familiarity make audiences more open to watching the film as they know what to expect, but at the same time, want to be surprised by the freshness of the approach and treatment. Cross cultural/ cross language adaptations help replicate the success that a film has experienced in one market to other markets. Film remakes also reduce time to production and help mitigate some of the creative risks attached to film making.