Sequel, prequel, remake, reimagining, reboot. All words that sum up what is wrong with Hollywood today.
With news the film The Predator will hit cinemas in August 2018, it got me asking myself, are there are any original ideas left in Hollywood?
For those that don’t already know, The Predator will be the fourth film in the Predator film franchise. And will take place between Predator 2 and Predators (the second and third films in the series). Therefore making this film both a sequel, and a prequel to films we have already seen. And I guarantee that after this film has been released, we will still say the original Predator film from 1987 starring Arnie is the best in the series.
Repackaging for a new audience
But why does Hollywood keep going back to films from yesteryear and repackaging them for a new audience? A big part of this must be due to the ready made fan base. They know that fans of the original films will more than likely flock back to watch any subsequent films. Another factor could be, has Hollywood got lazy, or just Run out of ideas?
A genre this particularly applies to is Horror. Anyone who watched Saw in 2004 would acknowledge it was one of the best horror films in years - if not all time. Why? Because it was different. So of course, Hollywood being Hollywood, they absolutely hammered that franchise for another six films - with another one set to follow later this year.
They made six sequels in six years. The collective box office figures are impressive, but surely there comes a time when quality overcomes quantity? Or maybe not!
Hollywood keeps going back to old material
Other film release ‘highlights’ for 2017 include Pirates of the Caribbean 5, The Mummy, Cars 3, Transformers 5, Amityville: The Awakening.
And that is just up to the end of June!
Another factor as to why Hollywood keeps going back to old material could be television. We truly are in the midst of a golden age of TV. Whether it be shows from the early 2000s like 24, The Sopranos and The Wire, to more recent like Game of Thrones and House of Cards. Everyone seems to have a boxset on the go.
Film competing with TV
Could this be contributing to the serious number of films being recycled? The film companies are more or less competing with TV shows, and they know that the original films are highly thought of and occasionally appeal to the consumer’s sense of nostalgia. So what better way to get someone out of the house (and away from the latest boxset on TV) and down to their local cinema, than showing the sequel to a popular 80s film.
Let me leave you with a stat from data blog The Droid you’re Looking For. 122 remakes were theatrically released between 2003 and 2012. Yes,122! The average critic score of these films was 46%. But the box office figures? Wow! $12 billion.
I guess remakes (reboots, re-imaginings, whatever you want to call them) are here to stay.
