Sequels, Reboots & Remakes!.. Are They Really the Problem?

Last year, a new set photo was released of Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory prequel. The picture didn’t show very much, but curious as to the public’s opinion, I checked the comments on twitter and was greeted to the same old sentences: “Hollywood doesn’t make anything original anymore!” “Hollywood is out of ideas!” “All we get are sequels and remakes!”

I’m paraphrasing slightly, but this was the general consensus amongst rational minded twitter commenters. Complaints like these have been raised time and time again, and yet every year, almost without fail, the highest grossing films are either sequels in existing franchises, remakes or reboots. So, what’s going on? Are we really that tired of these recognisable brands like the commenters say? Well, numbers don’t lie, and it seems there is a clear and valid reason for the regurgitation of known properties. However, what the real question here is: Have the Hollywood studios, or any studio for that matter, ran out of original ideas? In short- no.

This may come as a shock, but Hollywood is actually producing more original content than at any other point in history. On the surface this may seem unlikely. Everywhere you go you’ll see a familiar title on a bus, or the latest marvel instalment advertised on YouTube and there is a simple reason as to why we believe that’s all there is: money. Studios know what properties are recognised and what sells, and so put all their golden eggs into one basket at a time. One of the most glaring examples of this marketing overload has been James Bond. Throughout September and October Daniel Craig’s face was everywhere, perhaps making people believe that’s all that was playing in the theatres. Yet, every week there are brand new and original films released. However, due to their limited budgets and unfamiliar titles, they lack the sort of marketing entitlement that a James Bond film would receive.

It is comparative to the news cycle. There are hundreds of news stories written each day and the information is all published for us to read, but very seldom do we. It is all about the main headlines, the talking points, what stories grab the average person’s attention? It is the same for film. The public consciousness moves so fast that what catches the eye tends to be what we already know. It’s not that those original films aren’t being made; we are just not privy to them as they are overshadowed by the bigger stars. Independent films can also be extremely difficult to sell. These films tend to lack a big star and don’t have grand and flashy set pieces that can be shown in a trailer. Some can be too high concept or unusual that it does not appeal to popular demographics – such as young adults and families - and so studios won’t invest in big marketing campaigns for stranger or understated projects. The pandemic may have also led to an increased strain on original films. Last year Ridley Scott blamed the failure of his film, The Last Duel, on millennials’ attachments to their phones and short attention spans. Firstly, millennials are in their thirties now Scott, perhaps you mean Gen Z? Regardless, The Last Duel would regularly be a film that attracts an older audience, but the fear of coronavirus has stopped a lot of older people from returning to the cinema altogether, meaning that some original properties are losing a large chunk of their intended audience.

Cary Joji Fukanaga, 2021, No Time To Die, Universal Pictures

 It is a shame, because the past year alone has had some truly remarkable and original films. Freaky was a hilarious horror comedy that utilises the body swap gimmick in brilliantly unique ways; Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza was a charming escapist feature that strengthens his filmography even further and Céline Sciamma followed up her 2019 masterpiece- A Portrait of a Lady on Fire- with the wonderfully sweet and poignant Petite Maman (see my best of 2021 for even more recommendations). These are just a handful of original titles that were released last year, yet, these have been barely marketed. In order for these films to find an audience the onus turns to us. Due to the sheer amount of film releases both in cinema and on streaming, there is only so much marketing space for the prime releases and it now becomes our responsibility to track down these original releases and for most people that is too much of an inconvenience. 

 The problem isn’t that there are too many rehashed ideas, on the contrary, we are overwhelmed for choice. We are at a point now where there is such a constant stream of entertainment being given to us on multiple platforms every week that we cannot possibly be aware of everything that is being released or what will specifically interest us. All the big budget sequels, reboots and remakes you see marketed are just a drop in the vast ocean of content. There is such a sheer saturation of all types of entertainment that every week we will be missing a film, book, album or Tv show that we may love…but will pass us by without us ever knowing about it. Who knew an article about film properties could get so dour? But, at the end of the day, what you want is out there, you may just have to work for it.