No matter where you look: Sequels, remakes and reboots are dominating the movie industry. And should an original work be successful: It will surely not take long for a sequel to be announced. Naturally, this raises an important question for many: is Hollywood running out of ideas?

A Matter of Money

The primary motivation for movie sequels - and this should come as no surprise - is often of a financial nature. This is also comprehensible from an economic point of view: Sequels offer a comparatively safe investment, as they can build on an established fan base. As soon as a movie is successful at the box office, there is a high chance that the audience will also watch another installment.

Benefits of Franchises

A crucial reason for the success of movie franchises also stems from their ability to tell complex and in-depth stories across multiple movies. Rather than limiting themselves to a single film, franchises can deepen character development, add complexity to plots and create a rich universe that keeps viewers coming back to the movies or television. Marvel, for example, has done this successfully for many years with the MCU.

Moreover, there is the possibility of using different platforms to reach the audience. In addition to theatrical releases, franchises can also be expanded to include TV series, comics and video games. In technical jargon, this is known as "media convergence": a movie no longer exists on its own, but is part of a larger whole.

However, there are also plenty of reasons that speak against the franchise idea: Critics complain that the film industry relies too heavily on tried and tested recipes for success instead of promoting new and original projects. Hence the well-known complaint: "Man, can't they think of anything new?"

Are There Indeed Only Sequels?

At this point, let's take a moment and ask ourselves the question: Is it really the case that there are more sequels than there used to be? A glance at the list of the most successful movies of recent years seems to give a clear answer:

In 1993, around 8 movies in the global top 50 were already established brands. By 2003, this figure had risen to 20, by 2013 to 25 and by 2023 to 39 movies that built on the success of established names - in other words, almost 80%.

Of course, success is also associated with extensive marketing: Promising films are heavily advertised - trailers, posters and celebrity appearances can be seen everywhere. Everyone should know that the latest installment of the well-known franchise is coming out. And many people are left with the feeling: "I have to see this movie if I want to join the conversation - because it seems to be the hot topic right now!"

There Are Still Other Movies!

Of course, numerous movies are still produced every year that don't belong to any particular franchise. The only problem is that they hardly stand a chance. On the one hand, they are less noticed because they simply get overlooked by all the advertising for the big blockbusters. On the other hand, cinemas prefer to show the big productions in several halls instead of including smaller movies in their program.

But what does that mean? Is it the audience's own fault because they prefer to run to the franchise blockbusters instead of watching art house films in small studio cinemas? Well, not quite: the production of these other movies is also suffering from Hollywood's megalomania: the gap between super-expensive and super-cheap keeps widening. There are less and less medium-sized movies that try to tell original stories and still have a budget that can convince the majority of viewers.

The thought process behind this seems to be as follows: either I produce 10 cheap movies and hope for a surprise success or I make an expensive blockbuster that will recover its money simply because of its popularity. At the same time, the producers don't want to make the big hits any cheaper because the fans' expectations of the work involved have continued to rise. In the end, there is no money left over for original, mid-sized productions: a true dilemma.

What is a Sequel?

By the way, when we talk about "sequels" here, we mean many different types: Of course, there is the classic sequel, which picks up on the story of its predecessor and then tells what happens afterwards. Prequels, by contrast, take place before the known story - the most famous example is certainly "Star Wars: Episode 1 to 3". A reboot usually attempts to restart a story from the beginning: You basically act as if the previous movies didn't exist and tell new stories with similar characters and locations. The whole thing is not to be confused with a remake: an old story is adapted again - although usually with small changes here and there.

Of course, these categories cannot always be kept strictly separate: After all, there are no limits to one's imagination. But all these variations have one thing in common: they clearly refer to films or series that already exist. If you want to be really strict, you could also include book adaptations or similar: In that sense, "The Lord of the Rings" movies, for example, do not tell a fully independent story.

Sequels Over the Decades

The concept of movie series has been around for a long time, even if it took a while to become as popular as it is today. The beginnings of franchises that are still popular today can be traced back to the 50s and 60s: Think of "Godzilla" or "James Bond", for example. The go-ahead for many blockbuster series was then given in the 70s in particular: "Star Wars", "The Godfather" or "Rocky" - to name just a few. But film series also became increasingly popular outside the United States and are still considered cult by many today: be it the Danish "The Olsen Gang" or Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, who have made 17 movies together. Even back then, it was particularly noticeable that the big series often produced a new film every two years.

Various horror films such as "Halloween" or comedies such as "Police Academy" prove that even in the past, quantity did not always go hand in hand with quality: a surprise success was often followed in quick succession by numerous sequels, which received increasingly poor reviews, but were still profitable for the studios for a surprisingly long time - thanks to cheap production costs.

Are Sequels Always Bad and Lacking in Imagination?

The balance between quality and quantity is often the subject of debate when it comes to sequels. A common statement is: "Sequels are generally less creative and worse than their predecessors". But why is that?

One key factor is the audience's expectations: the first movie in a series often leaves a lasting impression and sets standards that are difficult to exceed. If this were not the case, sequels would not even be produced. The fresh and often novel idea of the original fascinates the audience, while the sequel is often perceived as a repetition or weakening of this idea.

Another factor is the commercial motivation behind sequels: Film studios see in successful original works an opportunity to maximize monetary gain with sequels. However, this focus on profit can mean that the creative commitment invested in the first film is lacking in the sequel.

How Original Can a Sequel Be?

Sequels also frequently face the problem of repeating themselves in terms of content and structure. Finding the balance between satisfying fans of the original and introducing new elements is difficult. For filmmakers, directing sequels is therefore by no means an easy task. This is particularly true when it comes to established film series that have a large fan base.

Advantages of Sequels

In fact, there are countless examples that prove that sequels can be both artistically and commercially successful, sometimes even surpassing the original. A key point as to why movie sequels don't always have to be bad is the ability to further develop characters and storylines. While the first movie often spends a lot of time introducing the world and characters, a sequel can use this foundation as a way to tell deeper and more complex stories. A prime example of this is the "The Godfather" trilogy. "The Godfather Part 2" is often considered one of the best sequels of all time, as it develops and deepens the story of the Corleone family in a masterly manner.

New Technology Allows New Films

Another aspect is technical and creative development: technological progress can enable sequels that visually surpass their predecessors. A great example of this is the "Terminator" series: while the first film is already considered a classic, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" was able to step it up a notch thanks to advanced special effects.

Remakes and Reboots for Every Generation

After what feels like the hundredth sequel to a franchise usually comes the big release: a remake or a reboot. These have various benefits: for example, they offer a fresh start for a tried and tested concept in order to win over new viewers. They lure you in with the promise: "Hey, you've lost track of what happened in the last 12 movies? Or you just don't want to have to watch 12 movies in order to enjoy this one? No worries: here's the perfect introduction!"

This allows the studios to attract young viewers in particular, who will hopefully remain loyal to the franchise for years to come. Plus, remakes are particularly appealing to a new generation of viewers, as you can adapt a tried-and-tested story to suit their watching habits - whether it's the visual style, currently popular stars or certain content that might seem outdated to a modern audience.

At the same time, those who know the original film also head to the movies to see how the new version compares to the old one. Unsurprisingly, they are often disappointed because they naturally grew up with the original version. As with sequels, high expectations are hard to meet. Not to mention that: With remakes and reboots, even more so than with sequels, you get the feeling of being repeatedly presented with the same thing and you start craving new experiences.

Remakes - An Old Concept

By the way, the remake concept is not particularly new either: even legendary director Alfred Hitchcock filmed his own film "The Man Who Knew Too Much" twice: in 1934 in England in black and white and in 1956 in the United States in color. And John Carpenter's "The Thing" from 1982, considered by many to be one of the best horror movies of all time, is also a remake of the 1951 film of the same name - again the adaptation of a short story. Of course, the story was also given a prequel in 2011, which is more or less a remake - and we're willing to bet that at least one more film adaptation or series will follow by 2040.

An Outlook for the Future

Is Hollywood running out of ideas? No: the ideas are there - however, they are less profitable for film producers than franchise productions. Original works often have to manage on a small budget and find it difficult to be noticed by the masses. It is therefore rare for such films to be a box office success.

So the remaining question is: what does the future hold? The simple answer is: as long as sequels bring in the most money, studios will continue to focus on the production of such movies. In the end, it's the quality that counts: a movie doesn't have to be bad or uninspired just because it's linked to a well-known brand. What is important is that the makers do not rest on the popularity of a franchise, but make good movies that can truly make a difference on their own.

And should you be tired of all the sequels: give small movies a chance too! Your decisions help to determine which movies will be produced in the future. Reward original ideas and tell your friends and our community about exciting productions that not enough people have heard of yet!