A slew of films have recently hit theatres, but filmgoers shouldn’t expect much originality from these new releases.
Despicable Me 4, Inside Out 2, A Quiet Place: Day 1, the film series’ third installation, and Twisters—while technically newly released, are merely sequels, prequels, or remakes of pre-existing narratives. While they may be new to the screen, they lack the excitement and novelty associated with fresh, original storylines.
Original plotlines enrich the film industry, offering cinematic formulas that have yet to be seen. They captivate audiences with fresh ideas and plots that stimulate curiosity. However, the constant recycling of familiar characters and concepts often diminishes the impact of these films, making the experience feel stale.
While fresh films offer excitement through newfangled plot, characters, tropes, and climaxes, sequels and remakes often fail to meet the high expectations of audiences who hold the original works in high regard.
Well-executed original storylines often foster a parasocial relationship between audiences and beloved film characters, setting a high bar for sequels and remakes. When the novelty of these characters fades, expectations for their reinvention are heightened, making it difficult for new iterations to live up to the original’s charm.
These characters have now lost the novelty that led them to be so well liked in the first place.
Another cause of failure for sequels and remakes is that the expectations audiences have cannot always be satisfied when the original actors are unavailable for the new production. This can disrupt the parasocial relationship viewers had with the original characters. A recast actor often doesn’t match or capture the same connections and interests audiences felt for the original cast—no matter how talented they are.
Original films are enticing because they exist in a certain context that may not be able to be replicated. Meaning, a film about tornado chasers, the plot of the original Twisters (1996), had not yet been an explored plot to exist in Hollywood films. So, the excitement to watch something new, is part of what made the original so excellent to begin with.
Now, the original’s remake, Twisters (2024) failed to remake the context in which the film existed originally. That is, being a new plot to exist in Hollywood lets down its original fans expectations of greatness when there are so many films with the same narrative.
Lastly, and perhaps more simply, the film doesn’t meet the same quality as the first, because it’s just not as good! Audiences may feel all the exceptional ideas were exhausted in the plot and characters of the original film and thus its successor can’t satisfy the wants and interests of audiences no matter how good the film may be.
Viewers, now more than ever, are craving fresh films with new ideas.
We Live in Time starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh is set to release on Oct. 11. The film explores the complexities of growing older in a relationship taking in health, career, and family dynamics. While its themes may echo those of previous films, it represents a fresh offering of new ideas, characters, and plot—something that’s increasingly rare in today’s film industry.
Introducing fresh concepts for films will diversify Hollywood’s current landscape dominated by sequels, prequels, and remakes, reigniting the excitement of experiencing original movies.
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