Today’s film industry is dominated by sequels, prequels, reboots, and spin-offs. Original stories aren’t pushed to the forefront as much and it’s not at all by accident. The industry is chasing what it sees as a much safer bet: certainty.
The film industry has always and will always be a business. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s without artistic exploration and creative risk-taking – but the end of the day, it’s a business of making money. Within the last few years a variety of factors have contributed to the decline of theatre attendance: superhero films and bigger budget films that created events around attending a theatre, a rise of at-home streaming content, and of course the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily shut down theaters worldwide.
With the recent releases of Freakier Friday, A Minecraft Movie, Superman, and Lilo & Stitch, studios continue to double down of familiar characters and stories with built-in fanbases rather than take a risk on original IP. They know fans of a franchise will likely show up for the next chapter, regardless of reviews or new ideas. This built-in hype translates to guaranteed revenue, or at least, that’s the hope.
Believe it or not, the industry believes that producing and marketing projects based on existing IP could be cheaper (and less of a risk) than the cost of attracting audiences to a completely new, fresh idea. When an existing franchise has name and character recognition, there’s almost a guarantee of seats filled in theaters. The payoff in the long-term (box office revenue) is worth it. As a result, original ideas (especially from upcoming writers/directors) are seen as a much bigger gamble. But this isn’t always the case. Take a look at the top 10 grossing films (domestically) so far this year – only one is an original screenplay: Sinners.
The stakes are even higher as movie theaters struggle to recover from pandemic-era shutdowns from an increase in streaming. The audience has changed their expectations for what they leave the comfort of their homes for. It seems only the familiar and convinced name recognition is the only surefire way to fill seats. But that tunnel vision might be costing the industry more than it’s saving.
As much as marvel films have grossed in the past (upwards of $700 million), the last two years has shown a steep decline in box office returns. The Marvels a box office bomb, ringing in $206 million from a $300+ million budget, Fantastic Four: First Steps has only grossed $468 million, and Thunderbolts* rang in $382 million. An unexpected turn from films in 2022 like Thor: Love & Thunder ($760 million), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ($859 million), and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ($955 million).
The downside to all of this? Original IP is getting sidelined. But the audience’s appetite for fresh stories hasn’t gone away, it’s only growing. Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, opened this year and crushed all expectations at the box office – bringing in $365 million against a $90–100 million budget (with a whopping domestic $278 million). Or look at the recent success of Weapons. After just 2 weeks in the box office (and an $38 million budget), the film has already grossed $148 million. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) also proved that inventive filmmaking can still find a wide, passionate audience – $143 million against a budget of $14-25 million. These are reminders that when studios take the leap, the audience is willing to jump with them.
Riskier, more inventive projects are either shelved or pushed to streaming, where they get buried under endless options. Studios once used theatrical releases to introduce new voices and worlds. Now, many won’t greenlight a film unless it’s tied to a pre-existing brand or a wrapped in a secure package (big-name actor, writer, or director). That environment makes it nearly impossible for bold storytelling to thrive.
Sequels, prequels, and reboots aren’t inherently bad — many are really great. But when they dominate the slate, they narrow what’s possible to be released in mainstream film. If the industry continues to prioritize certainty over originality, it risks losing not just audiences, but its creative soul.
Isn’t that the magic of filmmaking? Taking a risk, showing the audience something new. Or at least, it used to be.
