Genremaking

Genremaking is a term used in media production and theory to describe the deliberate transformation of a work into a different genre from its original classification. Unlike standard adaptation or remake, genremaking centers on reconfiguring core material—themes, characters, and plot premises—around the conventions, audience expectations, and stylistic cues of a target genre, while preserving an identifiable premise or narrative thread. The result is a recontextualized property that aims to resonate with a new set of genre conventions rather than simply retelling the story.

Practitioners of genremaking apply techniques such as reframing setting and era, altering tone, pacing, and visual aesthetics, modifying character archetypes, and reordering plot beats to fit the target genre. Marking and marketing strategies often reposition the property to signal the shift to a different audience, sometimes accompanied by branding changes or new taglines.

Purposes include expanding audience reach, refreshing an IP, testing new thematic angles, and extending the life of a property across media. When successful, genremaking can yield fresh critical and commercial responses while maintaining recognizable core elements. Risks include alienating existing fans, confusing branding, or diluting the original work if the genre shift does not align with audience expectations or the material.

Examples are illustrative: a contemporary romance narrative reimagined as a supernatural thriller, or a historical mystery rewritten as a cyberpunk detective story. See also: adaptation, remake, genre-bending, genre shift.