Let’s sit back for a good rant about sequels and franchises and how this is affecting our viewing pleasure. Maybe I’m jaded and maybe you agree with me. I’m not promising a bumpy ride, these peaks and hollows will mostly be familiar to you.
The existence of Sequels and Franchises
Sequels and movie franchises have become the bread and butter of modern cinema. The latest superhero saga and a rehash of old favourites and it seems like every blockbuster is part of an ever-expanding universe. The promise of revisiting familiar characters and worlds can be welcoming. But is this trend really good for filmmaking?
Spoiler alert: It’s not.
My thought process here is a few years of disappointment in the making. It comes as the theaters have three movies that I will be watching with trepidation and an already built in level of dissatisfaction. Am I looking back with nostalgia? Movies have always been remade and the originals of the movies below came out over 25 years ago. I’ll outline my thoughts on recent movies that have sparked my apathy:
Movie one: Twisters. I have seen this one and while it is an ok film. There is too much in it that just rehashes the first movie. Our girl Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) follows a similar arc to Helen Hunt’s character who is a tornado whisperer who has a formative catastrophic event with a tornado. Bill Paxton’s Tv weather man is now a star of a YouTube channel. The drive in tornado is now a rodeo tornado, you get the picture. I found that there was too much that was narrative adjacent to the first Twister movie that the story line took on an almost uncanny valley feel and rather than enjoying it I was looking out for script updates. Original movie Twister was released in 1996
Movie two: Alien Romulus. Oh how a franchise can change. We all understand why you want to add to your world building. But to turn a tight horror into silly space action movies for me has been a letdown. But yes, I will still watch it. The first Alien movie came out way back in 1979.
Movie three: Trap. M. Night Shymalan hmm, we knew he could never keep up with those quirky twists of the early 2000s. But it seem like he’s winding down and trying to use his provenance to get his daughter in to replace him in Hollywood. I will get around to watching this. M.Night Shymalan got most of his clout with The Sixth Sense in 1999.
Let’s continue.
We’ll have dive into why sequels and movie franchises often do more harm than good. We’ll have a ponder whether they stifle creativity, prioritize profit over quality, and contribute to the decline of original storytelling in Hollywood.
Sequels and Franchises – They’re a Safe Bet for Studios
Let’s start with the obvious.
Sequels and franchises are a surefire way for studios to make money. They’re the ultimate safety net. Why? Because audiences are more likely to spend their hard-earned cash on something familiar. If the first film was a hit, chances are the sequel will be too—at least financially.
But here’s the catch.
While these films may rake in millions at the box office, they often come at a cost to the quality of the product itself. Studios become more concerned with cashing in on the success of the first film rather than creating a worthy successor. Does this sound a bit like the Alien franchise? How about Jurassic Park? That has suffered a similar fate to Alien where it has become a creature action flick.
Recycling the Same Old Ideas
Creativity is the lifeblood of cinema. It’s what makes movies like Inception or Parasite stand out from the crowd. But when it comes to sequels and franchises, creativity often takes a back seat. We crave the new and different.
Think about it.
How many times have you seen a sequel that feels like a rehash of the original? It’s the same characters, the same plot structure, and often, the same jokes. The only difference? A bigger budget and flashier special effects and more beautiful people.
This recycling of ideas stifles innovation. Rather than taking risks with new stories or exploring uncharted territories, filmmakers feel pressured to stick with the formula that worked the first time to get the profits. The result? A cinema landscape that feels repetitive and uninspired.
Diminishing Returns
There’s a reason why the first movie in a franchise is usually the best.
It’s called the law of diminishing returns.
Simply put, the more sequels a franchise churns out, the less fresh and exciting they become. The novelty wears off, the characters become stale, and the plots become increasingly convoluted.
Look at the Terminator franchise. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) is often hailed as one of the best sequels ever made, but subsequent films like Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and Terminator: Genisys (2015) failed to capture the magic of the first two. Instead, they felt like desperate attempts to keep the franchise alive, with increasingly convoluted plots and diminishing returns in terms of both critical and commercial success.
Prioritizing Profit Over Art
The film industry is a business, no doubt about it. But when profit becomes the sole focus, the art of filmmaking suffers.
Here’s the deal. (P.S we all know this)
Sequels and franchises are designed to maximize profit. They’re created with the intention of selling tickets, merchandise, and even spin-offs. While this may be good for the bottom line, it often leads to a compromise in artistic integrity. As much as we’d like to think that movie makers are out to enrich our lives with fresh, interesting movies, they just want bums on seats and money from your wallet.
The Decline of Original Storytelling
Remember when Hollywood used to be a breeding ground for original ideas? Am I looking back with rose tinted thoughts? Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, Fargo, Goodfellas, Boogie Nights. There were some dense and satisfying movies in the late 90’s early 2000s.
Those days have fading fast.
The rise of sequels and franchises has led to a decline in original storytelling. Why invest in a risky new idea when you can milk a successful franchise for all it’s worth?
This shift in focus has made it increasingly difficult for original films to find their footing in the market. Independent films, once the backbone of cinematic innovation, are now overshadowed by the latest superhero blockbuster or animated sequel.
Are studios just risk averse?
Why take a risk when you can play it safe?
That’s the mentality driving the current trend of sequels and franchises. Studios are risk-averse, preferring to invest in what’s already proven successful rather than rolling the dice on something new.
But here’s the problem.
This risk-averse mentality leads to a homogenization of cinema. Every studio wants to replicate the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leading to a flood of superhero movies that all start to look and feel the same.
Where’s the diversity? Where’s the innovation?
When studios play it safe, audiences are left with a limited range of cinematic experiences. We end up watching the same stories unfold, with different characters and settings, but ultimately the same predictable outcomes.
Over-Saturation
You know the phrase “too much of a good thing”?
That’s exactly what’s happening with sequels and franchises.
When every other movie is a sequel or part of a franchise, it becomes overwhelming. Audiences are bombarded with an endless stream of familiar content, making it difficult for any one film to stand out.
This over-saturation can lead to fatigue.
Even die-hard fans can get tired of seeing their favorite characters and stories stretched thin across multiple films. When there is not enough novelty in the next instalment it becomes stale.
The trap of the franchise
Franchises can also be a double-edged sword.
On one hand, they offer the potential for long-term storytelling and character development. But on the other hand, they can trap filmmakers and audiences in a never-ending cycle of sequels and spin-offs.
Take Star Wars, for example.
What started as a groundbreaking trilogy has now become a sprawling franchise with multiple spin-offs, prequels, and sequels. While some of these additions have been well-received, others have sparked controversy and divided fans.They even pulled the old TV trick for when a series is getting tired – bring in a cute kid (Grogu)
The franchise trap creates a sense of obligation rather than genuine interest. Fans feel compelled to watch every new installment, even if they’ve lost interest in the story. Meanwhile, filmmakers are pressured to keep the franchise alive, often at the expense of quality and originality.
The Death of Vision
Auteurs are the visionaries of cinema.
Directors like Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, and Wes Anderson are known for their unique styles and creative visions. But in the world of sequels and franchises, the director’s vision often takes a back seat to the demands of the studio.
Why? Because franchises are a collaborative effort.
Multiple directors, writers, and producers are involved in the process, often leading to a diluted final product. The focus is on maintaining consistency across the franchise rather than allowing individual directors to put their stamp on the film.
This can lead to a lack of personality and creativity in franchise films. Instead of a bold, visionary piece of art, we get a product that feels like it was made by committee. Money gets made for the few at the expense of the masses.
Fan Service (or trying desperately to keep your audience)
Let’s talk about fan service or thowing your loyal dog a bone.
Fan service is when filmmakers include specific elements in a movie solely to please the fans. This can be anything from a cameo by a beloved character to a reference to a previous film.
While fan service can be fun, it can also harm the story.
When filmmakers prioritize fan service over storytelling, the narrative can suffer. Plotlines become convoluted, characters are brought back for no reason, and the story loses its coherence.
Take Jurassic World: Dominion as an example.
The film was packed with fan service, from the return of the original cast to the countless callbacks to the original Jurassic Park. But in the process, the story became a jumbled mess, with too many characters, subplots, and unnecessary nods to the past. It felt like grasping at straws to hold on to some of the past glory. And yet again, there is another sequel in the pipeline. Do love the dinosaurs and will begrudgingly be watching the new one. But here we are – as a fan of a franchise we shouldn’t be feeling a heavy heart about what sort of disgrace they will be making of our films. Yes, our films. Without the audience they make no money. Yet we live in hope that they will make them better.
Stagnant Characters and Stories
Sequels and franchises often give the illusion of progression.
On the surface, it seems like the characters and story are evolving. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that not much has changed.
Characters remain stagnant, stuck in the same roles and situations as in previous films. Storylines are recycled, with minor tweaks to make them feel fresh. The result? A series of films that feel repetitive and uninspired.
Take Pirates of the Caribbean as an example.
The franchise started strong with The Curse of the Black Pearl, but as the series progressed, it became clear that the characters and story were stuck in a rut. Jack Sparrow remained the same swashbuckling rogue, the plot revolved around the same quest for treasure, and the series became increasingly formulaic. Even poor Johnny Depp seemed to get stuck in the role and became some sort of Keith Richards, Steven Tyler, pirate hybrid, or maybe that is the way of old men to hark back to their Peter Pan days.
It’s you
I’ll hide this section way down here in the hope that you gloss over it or have not read this far. But I’m sorry to say that as an audience you are also to blame.
In two parts:
Part one: You keep encouraging the movies by supporting them. You go to the movies, you stream them. The numbers do not lie, people are watching these things. But in saying that, there are still good movies and lazy movies – choose the good movies over the lazy ones.
Part two: You are old and jaded. Sorry to say this but you have seen it all before. There really are no magical new storylines that will make you feel the same rush of a great movie that you saw in your teens and thought was the greatest, most original movie that has ever been made. You have probably seen most iterations of all possible storylines there is to be told. And again, there are still good movies and lazy movies – choose the good ones or at least ones that enrich you in some way. I know you’re not just a cog in the machine, you’re the gold one that stands out from the rest.
Lowering Expectations
As audiences when we get bombarded with sequels and franchises, our expectations begin to shift.
Instead of seeking out original, thought-provoking films, we become accustomed to the familiar. Starting to expect the same characters, the same plot twists, and the same endings. This lowers the bar for what constitutes a “good” movie.
Think about it.
How many times have you walked out of a sequel thinking, “It was okay, but not as good as the first one”? This kind of reaction has become all too common, as audiences adjust their expectations to the repetitive nature of sequels and franchises.
The result? A movie-going experience that’s less about being challenged or inspired and more about being entertained in the most predictable way possible. I know myself I eventually watch the next instalment, but that hope that it will be good is fading fast.
Can We Break Free from the Cycle
So, what’s the solution?
How do we break free from the cycle of sequels and franchises and return to a time when original storytelling was king?
It starts with us, the audience.
As moviegoers, we have the power to demand better. We can choose to support original films, seek out independent cinema, and celebrate creativity in all its forms. By doing so, we send a message to studios that there’s still a market for fresh, innovative storytelling.
With the heavy hearts we feel about the mangling of our favorite franchise, we have the power to change this. By supporting original films and demanding more from the movies we watch, we can help create a future where cinema is defined by innovation and creativity, rather than repetition and formula. Maybe it is time to say goodbye to our favorites and remember the good times instead of the easy money movies.
It’s not all on you, filmmakers also have a role to play.
Rather than relying on the safety net of sequels and franchises, they can take risks, explore new ideas, and push the boundaries of what cinema can be. It’s a daunting task, but one that’s necessary if we want to keep the art of filmmaking alive and thriving.
In the end, it’s up to all of us to ensure that the future of cinema isn’t just a series of sequels and spin-offs, but an interesting landscape of stories waiting to be told. Support your local film makers, go to movie festivals, seek out the new and fresh. Or if that all fails, you can go read some books or listen to an audio book or podcast.
So next time you’re spending your money, ask yourself: do I want to see another sequel, or am I ready for something new? The choice is yours.
Want to read more ranting about franchises?
Uncanny Lounge 