And since you mention Kubrick: I do not want to imagine a remake of Dr Strangelove.
I think what makes almost all Kubrick films safe from being remade is that studio execs today would come to the conclusion that they would not have enough mainstream appeal to be commercially successful.
In addition to that, I think the Kubrick estate and Warner Brothers have some kind of unwritten agreement that none of Kubrick's films will ever be remade.
They'd be impossible to surpass, too. They are as close to perfect as you can get in film. He was dedicated to his craft.
