Hollywood's Love of Sequels
The American movie industry has
been one of the few mainstays of our culture since its’ birth in the early
1900s. Presidents have come and gone, stocks have risen and fallen, but year
after year people are still producing, watching, and buying movies. The industry
has gone through phases however, and we are most definitely in the middle of
one right now.
Over the past several decades, the
kinds of movies being produced have shifted. Think back to the older movies
you’ve seen (or have heard of), movies from over thirty or forty years ago.
Were they original scripts or were they sequels? Odds are they were originals.
In fact out of the top ten movies in terms of box office sales in the 1960’s
all but one of them were original scripts, and the one that weren’t was the
second James Bond movie Thunderball (AMC). The 1970’s this trend continues,
with all ten of the top box office movies being original scripts (AMC). By the
1980’s however, it became apparent that something in Hollywood had changed.
Trilogies ruled the box office in this decade, with the sequels to the
franchise movies Star War and Indiana Jones grabbing four of the top ten spots
and the original Indiana Jones grabbing one as well (AMC). In the 1990’s
Hollywood settled down a bit with their sequels, but Toy Story 2 and Stars Wars
Episode 1: The Phantom Menace were both in the top ten at the box office (AMC).
In the first decade of the new millennium, Hollywood went back at it with
sequels, with seven of the top ten box office movies being sequels (AMC).
Titles like The Dark Knight, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and Lord of
the Rings: Return of the King are all still relevant and re-watched today. Over
the past four years I’m sure you all have noticed the huge number of sequels
being released into America’s movie theatres. Instead of releasing an original
title and calling it a day, studies are franchising movies. While some of this
is due to the fact that the books the movies are based on come in threes, like
The Hunger Games, or are simply too long to be cut into one movie like The
Hobbit, the trend is clearly the result of a Hollywood movie making strategy.
This strategy looks like it will continue this year with releases of more
Hunger Games and Hobbit, along with several Marvel/Capcom titles. Hollywood
shows no signs of slowing this down in the future either, with producers having
announced the release of sequels for 2018 (Franrich).
This begs the question as to why?
Why is Hollywood so infatuated with sequels? The answer is simple: because they
work. They produce revenue. So much revenue in fact, that 2013 was the most
profitable year in Hollywood history (Lang, Cunningham) with a take of $10.9
billion globally (McClintock). Out of the top ten grossing films of the year,
seven were sequels, and those seven alone amounted to over $6 billion (Acuna).
While the trend of back-to-back record-breaking years will most likely not
repeat in 2014 according to industry experts (Cunningham, Lang) the year will
still be chalk full of established franchise sequels as well as franchise
hopefuls like “22 Jump Street” and “The Purge 2”. According to at least two
industry experts, the first sequel, that is the second movie, of a movie series
must be successful in order for the franchise tag to be a possibility, and it
looks like several aspiring franchises will be trying to lock that up this
year.
So with all these sequels and movie
franchises, we as consumers and audience members must ask some questions. The
first, and most broad of which is, how do we feel about this? The numbers say
we as an audience must love it, seeing as how Hollywood makes more and more
money every year as the overall rate of sequels increases. But do we love these
movies because of their creativity and the stories they tell, or just because
stuff gets blown up, things look awesome regardless of how impossible they are
(See clip), and there are often very attractive people will very lopsided skin
to clothes ratios (see second clip)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqXQUpvIOUQ
If that’s the case, can we really
be upset with Hollywood for stressing sequels in the number and kinds of movies
they make? Is it a cop out or a smart business strategy on their part? Lastly,
where do we think the American movie industry is headed, are we ok with it, and
if not what can we do?
Works Cited:
McClintock, Pamela. “Box Office:
The 20 Most Profitable Films of 2013”, Hollywood
Reporter. January 2, 2014. Web.
Acuna, Kirsten. “The 15 Highest
Grossing Movies of 2013”, Business
Insider. December 14, 2013. Web.
Franrich, Darren “This Was The Year
That….We Got Psyched for 2014. And 2015…” Entertainment
Weekly. December 20, 2013. Print.
Lang, Brent & Cunningham, Todd.
“6 Box Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops”, The Wrap. December 22, 2012. Print
Cunningham, Todd & Lang, Brent.
“Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals”, The Wrap. January 2, 2014. Print.
Filmsite. “All Time Top Box-Office
Films By Decade and Year”, American Movie
Channel. Web. Accessed March 22,2014. www.filmsite.orghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqXQUpvIOUQ
It’s nearly impossible to blame film production studios for cranking out sequels every year. While we’ve all heard friends and family complain that the sequel will never be as good as the original, curiosity still drives them to the theater. The box office doesn’t care so much whether the movie was considered “good” or “enjoyable” by audiences, rather, they care solely about the profit. Since “you can’t have a franchise without a successful second movie” (Cunningham, et. al), the effort put into making each movie can dwindle over time and still be able to bring in money. When successful movies don’t necessarily call for a follow-up, there’s no reason that producers shouldn’t at least try to replicate it so long as all of the actors are still willing and relevant.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I believe that assuming people will return for the second version of a semi-popular movie is risky. Top 2014 sequels and franchises, for example, The Hunger Games or The Hobbit, have a surefire fanbase descending from the success of the book series. If a production company is in need of the profitability that comes with sequels, basing it off of popular books is the only way to ensure that fans will be excited for each and every movie to come about. Fast & Furious, for example, just got lucky, and in a way established itself as a tradition rather than an epic picture. Other franchise-hopefuls need to pick a demographic and stick to it – something like Horrible Bosses, due out next year (Cunningham, et. al), has much too broad of an audience and therefore may not draw in as many dedicated fans as they hope (relating back to the “niche” audience topic we discussed last week).
There’s a huge difference between the “Gravity” sort of box office hit and the young adult fiction novel-based hit (Lang, Cunningham). Just as popular reality television shows can reach the same number of households as crime shows or dramas, most sequels that are created without a pre-established franchise hold a mindless attraction based not off of trailers or promotions as much as the emotions carried from the original movie. Certain movies like Paranormal Activity and Insidious (Lang, Cunningham) just get lucky in terms of sequel-based success. In the end, I believe that sequels are just a short cut to the bottom line in the film industry. The characters have been developed, the roles have been casted, the audience has already been determined and targeted; and with that busywork put aside, all that’s left is writing a script and the actual production.
In many cases it may be better for the film industry to put all of its efforts into creating new content, giving indie writers a chance (and avoid assisting them in selling out, like Paranormal Activity). Of course, this is a fantasy Hollywood that I’m describing – where all of the content is original and the focus is put on the value of entertainment rather than the value of the predicted profits. Until then, the cash always wins, and sequels will continue to rule the box office.
Works Cited
Cunningham, Todd & Lang, Brent. “Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals”, The Wrap. January 2, 2014. Print.
Lang, Brent & Cunningham, Todd. “6 Box Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops”, The Wrap. December 22, 2012. Print
Hollywood has a love and that love is sequels, like your title says. Hollywood takes what is great and multiplies them because it works. Agreeing with your argument that this is the reason Hollywood has a sort of romance with sequels. After having a look at the 2013 Domestic Grosses chart, I noticed that there were several sequels in the top 100 grossing movies of last year. In fact, the top five were sequels: “Iron Man 3”, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, “Despicable Me 2”, “Man of Steel”, and “Monsters University”. People love to see sequels of their favorite movies, which is perhaps why “The Fast and Furious” series has done so well. “The Fast and Furious” is so popular that it is coming out with a seventh film fairly soon. Hollywood is all about making money and sequels do just that, make money. According to the article, “Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals”, “Sequels drove this year’s box office – the top five films were all second go-rounds – and they’ll drive next year’s too.” The article includes a list of sequel films coming out this year that will likely “do major business” for Hollywood. So how do we as consumers feel about Hollywood’s reliance on sequels? As you pointed out, the numbers suggest that we love it. Personally, I am one of those people who enjoy series’, whether they are books or movies. I think people like sequels so much because they bond with and relate to some of the characters from their favorite films. They form relationships with the characters. By making sequels, it gives the viewer more chances and time to spend with and deepen their appreciation for their favorite characters. Why we love these movies all depends on the person. To answer your second question about why people love these movies. I am sure people love them for all the reasons you provided like the attractive cast, great story lines, or stuff getting blown up. I really do not think that we can be upset with Hollywood for stressing sequels. Yes, it can be a bit annoying that they stress these sequels but we buy into the sequels. We do not have anyone to blame but ourselves. In a way, Hollywood is giving us what we want because we keep going to see the sequels that they stress so much. I think that sequels are definitely a smart business strategy on Hollywood’s part. As I illustrated above, sequels are dominating the box office and will continue to do so this year. In response to your last question, I think the movie industry will continue to make sequels and be successful in doing so. As a whole it would appear that we are all right with Hollywood and the sequels it produces. In conclusion, I think that it is safe to assume that sequels are going to continue to make a splash at the box office for a long time now. Hollywood is giving us what we want and, clearly, what we want are sequels.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited:
"2013 Domestic Grosses." Box Office Mojo. Accessed 21 Feb. 2014. Web.
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
I think sequels are an interesting phenomenon. On one hand, it gives the audience what they want: a follow up to a tale they are already familiar with and fond of. On the other hand, it really beats the “dead horse”, even leaving a lot of fans with the “enough is enough” mentality. Recently, Sarah Jessica Parker has been asked about a Sex and the City third installment; another movie in the somewhat successful SATC move franchise (strictly discussing the movie here, not the show). All she has said, and to numerous media outlets, is “that there is another tale that can be told, but I’m not sure if it ever will.” So what exactly does that mean? As a fan of the show, and not the movies, I find it tarnishing to the SATC reputation that there is a chance for another movie so out of line with what SATC is actually about. She then clarified and said that there was “no discussion” of a third movie and that it “wasn’t happening.” But what if a discussion about it does come to be? Fans certainly went wild with just this single piece of murky news, so imagine what could happen with a third installment.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, there are certain movies that need to have sequels and other installments. As Brent Land and Todd Cunningham discuss in their article “6 Box-Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops” for The Wrap, “That the Superman saga “Man of Steel” took in $660 million worldwide for Warner Bros. was great, but setting up its Batman vs. Superman sequel, and subsequent films based on DC Comics Justice League characters, meant just as much to the studio.” Films based off actual trilogies, like Superman and Batman, actually need to rely not so much on installments, but remakes of movies. Surely every single DC Comic hasn’t been made into a movie, so I find it more interesting that only so few comics actually become movies, and once they do their tale is constantly told over and over again. But these comic-based films also have a need to been made in installments and so that makes sense; “sequels and subsequent films”, especially with regard to DC Comics, are needed to tell a tale. I just wonder how many different incarnations from various directors we have to endure before people start to crave something new.
Another interesting factor is that many of the films that became popular as installment based films are no longer relevant in the box office because the series was finished. Lang and Cunnigham assert in “Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals” that “Not all sequels are equal, and for the first time since 2006 there will be no “Avengers,” “Dark Knight,’ “Harry Potter” or “Iron Man’ movies on the schedule, and that’s why most analysts see 2014 having a tough time matching this year’s grosses.” Movies like Harry Potter and Iron Man are movies that needed to have other installments because they were a series. Other than newer franchises like Hunger Games, there really isn’t a whole lot of new series that will engage with audiences the way that their predecessors did. The kids that grew up with these movies have moved onto other, possibly more mature genres of film and maybe aren’t as represented in theaters. I also wonder if today’s youth is as engaged with film (the act of actually going to a movie theater, etc.) as the world once was. To me, it doesn’t seem that way because so many children are preoccupied by other forms of media. But surely sequels do have an important role to play and when done correctly, can create a unique experience for the consumer.
George Fracasse
Lang, Brent and Todd Cunningham. "6 Box-Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops." The Wrap 22 Dec. 2012. Web.
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
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ReplyDeletePersonally, I dislike sequels unless they are related to a book series. Sequels are rarely better than the original movie, and are disappointing. Clearly, audience members opinions differ from my own because according to the “2013 Domestic Grosses”, five of the top ten movies were sequels (Box Office Mojo). Some of the movies included are movie franchises, such as “Iron Man 3”, “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, “Monsters University”, and “Fast & Furious 6” (Box Office Mojo). These movies listed have more than two movies and are successful in creating multiple revenue streams. According to “Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals”, a franchise will not succeed without a successful second movie, therefore the movie industry wants to create multiple revenue streams by creating a successful sequel. The Harry Potter franchise is a great example of creating multiple revenue streams, with books which turn into movies, creating merchandise, advertising, DVDs, amusement parks, etc.
ReplyDeleteI believe the reason a lot of people enjoy sequels is because if the first movie is good people want to see more of the characters. For instance, “Caddyshack” garnered a large following and is regarded as one of the funniest sports movies. People loved “Caddyshack”, so the movie industry decided to produce “Caddyshack II”. According to IMDB, the budget for “Caddyshack II” was about twenty million dollars and the movie grossed less than twelve million. The movie was referred to as a box office flop and is a cautionary tale to actors in Hollywood about horrible sequels. This is just one example of a great original movie and a horrible sequel.
Currently, audiences are interested in sequels in certain categories such as: actions movies, kids movies, and books made into movies. Action movies have specific demographics: males who are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five. These men enjoy watching movies to increase their adrenalin, therefore the plot of the movie isn’t as important as the action. The Fast & Furious and Iron Man franchises fit this description and are included in the top ten domestic grossing movies of 2013. The Hunger Games is a movie franchise based on a book series. Audiences are able to read the books and then watch the series. The Hunger Games franchise has a large demographic, similar to the Harry Potter franchise. There are adults, teenagers, and children of different gender, socioeconomic status, and race who enjoy watching The Hunger Games. Kids movies, such as “Monsters University”, have very specific demographic. Kids movies target children ages four to twelve. I remember as a child being excited for “Shrek 2.” “Shrek 2” wasn’t the best sequel, but I loved the first movie and the characters, therefore I enjoyed seeing these characters again in different situations. I believe my experience as a child with sequels is similar to children’s interpretations of sequels today.
Hollywood is a business, therefore their bottom-line is to make money. Currently, sequels and franchise movies are a great way to make money through the box office and allows for multiple revenue streams such as advertising, DVD, and merchandise such as collectibles, toys, clothing, etc. Hollywood isn’t being creative by producing unoriginal sequels, but as the audience we are the blame. Since there are numerous sequels grossing large amounts of money, Hollywood is going to produce more sequels. If we want to change the movies being produced, we need to start watching movies produced by independent companies, or original movies and not watch sequels. As the audience, we can determine the movies produced by not supporting sequels.
"2013 Domestic Grosses." Box Office Mojo. Accessed Mar. 2014. Web.
"Caddyshack II." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Mar. 2014. Web.
Initially, my reaction to this blog was that it upset me that sequels had become so overwhelmingly popular because I thought I would prefer original material to sequels. However, as I am admittedly a Harry Potter fan and also a fan of The Hunger Games, I realized I couldn’t remember being more excited to see a movie than I was about seeing these sequels. There is an excitement of being able to see the next step in a story that you have been invested in that in unparalleled to original films. That being said, I do understand why this is a growing trend and why it does not seem to be going away.
ReplyDeleteAlong with sequels, trilogies, etc, comes a fan base. The more movies you put out, the more that fan base will continue to grow. This explains why novels being adapted to film have become such a wild success. Fans of the books eagerly await the release of their favorite books on the big screen. In doing this, they get to see these stories told in an entirely new realm. It also gives fans a way to enjoy the series together in a new light. Furthermore, if the book series was a success, it is fairly safe to say that the movies will be successful as well. With a following of the story already in place because of the books themselves, those in the film industry do not have to work as hard at creating a gathering. Although some would argue that there is extra pressure put on filmmakers because they have to live up to the hype of the books, recent releases of this sort have for the most part been wildly successful. If worse came to worse and fans of the book were unhappy with the film adaptation, there is always a shot at creating an entire new fan base with those who have not read the books. This is evidenced in an article from The Hollywood Reporter which states, “Only 50 percent of ticket buyers [for Divergent] had read the book, compared to 74 percent for Twilight and 76 percent for The Hunger Games,” (McClintock).
Even if the script was original instead of being adapted from a book, with more than one movie comes the excitement of a beloved story being told even further. As stated in the article from The Wrap, “Most analysts see 2014 having a tough time matching this year’s grosses,” (Lang, Cunningham). They mention that this is due to the fact that hits such as Avengers, Dark Knight and Iron Man will be missing from this year’s box office. However, critics still believe the deficit will not be too big of a gap. The article goes even further to mention that next year is looking promising because of the return of even more popular sequels.
Although making sequels may seem like the industry is taking the easy way out, overall it is not fair to blame them for doing so. With the recent success with past sequels and even more success predicted for the future, this trend can be seen as just another smart business strategy.
Kelsey Scriven
Cunningham, Todd & Lang, Brent. “Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals”, The Wrap. January 2, 2014. Print.
McClintock, Pamela. “Box Office: ‘Divergent’ Breaks YA Curse With $56 Million Debut; ‘Muppets 2’ Bombs”, The Hollywood Reporter. March 23, 2014. Print.
Cara Gilmartin
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I have extremely mixed emotions when it comes to sequels. It’s definitely a love/hate relationship. While I’m definitely a big fan of sequels to a book, even more so trilogies, I feel as though with movies I am much more critical. Even though I will usually go see the second movie, I find myself being less enthusiastic than I am about a book.
There are certainly stories that cannot be fit into one movie. Perhaps that's why I hate Titanic so much. That’s right, I said it. Regardless, the length of a movie is definitely a key factor in its success. Even a great story will lose positive feedback if it’s seemingly dragged out. Splitting the movie gives the viewer that reason to come back for more. I know personally, I would be so angry knowing that there’s an ending to a story and I don’t know it because I didn’t see the movie’s sequel.
The article, “Hollywood Eyes Record 2013 With ‘Star Trek,’ ‘Hobbit,’ ‘Hunger Games’ Sequels,” states that, “While studios are making fewer films, they are focused on characters with global appeal that attract broad audiences.” (Advertising Age) If a character achieves global appeal once, he or she is more than likely to maintain that appeal one more time. This is why I can’t dislike sequels. Like Ben said, they really do work. Personally, they only work for me if the movie series is originated from a book series. I’m always going to root for Katniss Everdeen. Ask me about Grease 2, and we’ve got a different story.
Sometimes less is more and a story really can end after 2 hours or so. While the facts prove that sequels really do work, we can’t forget that they also show that movies that aren’t sequels do pretty well, too. Think about it, if movies weren’t being made into sequels, would we be less interested in movies? I doubt it. Instead, we would just be interested in different ones. Yes, the top five grossing films this year were sequels. (Cunningham, Lang) However, if those movies were never made, we would just have another original movies taking their places. The industry wouldn’t fail without sequels.
With sequels comes the cult following the film industry adores for many reasons. One: money. Two: Free PR. Fans of a series will do anything and everything to create a community in regards to the film. Sequels will automatically have an audience because of these die-hard fans. Pre-ordering tickets has become very popular, as well as dressing up or bringing along some type of merchandise to a viewing, especially a midnight viewing. With the popularity of social media, these cult-like followers are constantly creating a buzz for a film. From Instagram posts of people dressed like Katniss and Peeta, to tweets about one’s excitement for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, our society perpetuates the notion that “if it ain’t broke, don't fix it” is a great explanation as to why sequels will continue to remain a majorly successful aspect of the film industry.
Works Cited
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
“Hollywood Eyes Record 2013”
Sequels have become mainstream in our society for a number of reason. According to Todd Cunningham and Brent Lang, “You can’t have a franchise without a successful second movie, and several studios will be trying to grab the brass ring with follow-ups to recent hits.” A movie is considered successful by how much it brings in at the box office and how many nominations it receives. To further calculate its success, the movie producers have to look at the audience. When a director and actor are both good at what they do, it causes audience members to develop a liking to the characters. Although the sequels might not be as good as the originals, they will still continue to bring people to the theaters because of curiosity.
ReplyDeleteTo prove that theory, I used the article “2013 Domestic Grosses.” The top five movies were all sequels, with Man of Steel being a reboot. Iron Man 3, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Despicable Me 2, Man of Steel, and Monsters University brought in the most profit. Regardless of whether people gave the movies good reviews or not, they still made it to the box office to help these movies make it to the top of the list. Although we will compare the two, (or however many sequels there are), we will still see them so we could talk about them with others and express our opinions.
I think our generation is invested in sequels because we have to be. First, Hollywood keeps cranking them out, so our options become limited when we step into a theater. If the box office is just filled with sequels, chances are you have to see the first one in order for the current one to make sense. Second, sequels have become a social concept. When a movie comes out with a sequel, you will know it based on social media alone. Friends tweet about it, articles are posted, and trailers are shared. If you were unaware of the first movie, social media could definitely spark your interest – especially if it’s all your friends and family are talking about. Lastly, I think our current society is obsessed with the familiar. If you’ve seen the original, it is likely that most characters will be recurring. Just like any book series, it’s intriguing to watch a character continue to grow and develop, and sequels help capture that process.
From my movie experience, I’ve never actually hated a sequel. If some people hate a sequel, you will know it. I think sequels are a positive and profitable move for the film industry. Not every movie will be a huge success, but it will definitely have a following. I recently just watched all of the Batman movies in one day. I started out planning to watch one, but I became so invested in Christian Bale’s character that I wanted to see them all. I decided I liked The Dark Knight Rises the best, but I thought all of them were well done. Sequels have become a way for the same target audience to keep coming back, and each time, they are learning a new plot with characters they love and hate.
Works Cited
“2013 Domestic Grosses." Box Office Mojo. Accessed 21 Feb. 2014. Web.
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
To answer your first question, I do not think that we as consumers can be upset with Hollywood over the types of films that have come out of there over the past few decades. You can’t blame them for engaging in their seemingly foolproof strategy or argue with the results. People will always be interested in sequels of popular movies. Having a consistent, recognizable character immediately draws attention from audiences.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always thought that half the fun of sequels is seeing if they live up to the billing of the first movie. Sometimes you can walk away disappointed (i.e. Anchorman 2), sometimes you can be completely content with it (LOTR: The Two Towers), and sometimes it can even surpass expectations (The Godfather: Part II). There’s nothing to say that a sequel can’t be better than the original.
That being said, I find it annoying that people in Hollywood try to squeeze every last bit out of a franchise. The Hangover trilogy is a good example of how sequels can sour a movie’s reputation and cause some anger and frustration within the consuming audience. It’s also alarming that the top five films at the box office were all sequels in 2013 (Lang, Cunningham).
The box office is obviously an accurate way to measure a film’s financial success, but last time I checked, only three sequels in history have ever won a Best Picture Oscar. There’s no reason to fear that great original movies are being made each year, ones that don’t rely on previous popularity to be considered a successful film.
You could consider it a copout, but there’s really no good reason for Hollywood to stop doing what they’re doing if it does indeed work. To answer your question about what direction the movie industry is headed, I’d have to say that it will likely continue to spawn sequels and trilogies because there’s no evidence that they’ll ever stop intriguing consumers. There will always be great, original scripts turned into films. I mean, none of the Best Picture nominees were sequels this year. Generally speaking, I think that Hollywood isn’t headed in the wrong direction.
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
“2013 Domestic Grosses." Box Office Mojo. Accessed 21 Feb. 2014. Web.
The thing about sequels is that they are a brilliant strategy for return revenue. This strategy however did not begin with movies, but with books. Authors have time and again created sequels, trilogies, and series to tell a larger or longer story. This was also a way for them to keep their audiences returning and buying the next book in the sequence. Also evolving from paper-based beginnings, movies are visually stimulating and enticing. When an audience has a favorite set of sequels that were initially books, they often imagine what these scenes would look like in reality. Movies give that to these audiences. With sequels, an audience can almost live and interact with the lives of their favorite characters.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Harry Potter books started becoming movies, it was such an experience for me to be able to visually see what the wizarding world was like. It was also great because I was then given the chance to follow the lives of my favorite characters from the books. Because the fan base of these books was so large, the producers of Harry Potter always had return customers and fans they could rely on to see each of the movies. As with the Iron Man movies, people have come to love the snarky character played by Robert Downey Jr., and have also become invested in his character in the movies. Obviously something about this worked, especially with American audiences, because Iron Man 3 was the highest grossing domestic film of 2013 (Box Office Mojo).
Personally, I am getting a little tired of the sequel phenomenon the film industry has been experiencing. Does nobody have anymore original ideas? Sure, a film adaptation of a book or novel is great every once in a while, especially when the book is a major hit like Harry Potter or a classic like The Great Gatsby. But when the industry has become so reliant on sequels to make their money, that is when we know the industry is experiencing trouble. Furthermore, making too many sequels can get exhausting. Did we really need a seventh Fast and Furious?
In their article about the box office and sequels, Brent Lang and Todd Cunningham predict that future sequels will not experience as much success as they did in the past, or even in 2013. While I wish that were true, I am inclined to disagree. As of yet, the sequel strategy has been working. And as long as people are still paying to see the sequels the industry puts out, they have no reason to quit. However, I would like to see originality come back to life in the studios. And for the love of all that is film, I just ask these studios to stop making a sequel of every single movie they release. In this case, I am talking about Paranormal Activity, and now, a sequel to The Purge. We get that those ideas were pretty neat, especially with the concept behind The Purge, but I must admit that I miss the variation we used to see in the movies.
Katryn Flynn
"2013 Domestic Grosses." Box Office Mojo. Accessed 21 Feb. 2014. Web.
Cunningham, Todd and Brent Lang. "Box Office: 2014 Will Likely Be Down, Because Not All Sequels Are Equals." The Wrap 2 Jan. 2014. Web.
Today it seems that a movie’s success is determined by whether or not it has franchise potential. Hollywood may still produce a stand-alone movie, but if they can’t get at least one sequel out of the thing, their expectations for its success are very low. It is no secret that Hollywood loves its sequels, seven of the top ten grossing films of last year were sequels, which amounted to over $6 billion (Acuna 1). But what appears to the public as an over done love affair is actually Hollywood desperately clinging to their security blanket.
ReplyDeleteDespite all the glamour that we see at the awards ceremonies, the movies are a tough business to be in. Consumer tastes change daily, and the possibility of a movie completely flopping at the box office has been a reality for many. There is no guarantee that the movie, which so many people put their hearts and souls into, is going to perform as planned once released to the public. The sequel is about as close to guaranteed success as you’ll get in Hollywood. If the first movie was a hit, producers know that audiences like the characters and like the writing, so why not try to strike gold twice? It’s a smart business strategy to make use of an existing fan base, rather than trying to create one.
It takes a lot for me to go to the movies these days. I have to be either dying to see the film or I have to be in dire need of something to do. With options like Netflix and RedBox it is often better to wait and see the movie in the comfort of my home rather than trek to the theater and spend $20. Sequels of the movies that I like however are something that I’ll actually make the effort to go and see while they’re in theaters. Why do these movies instill such devotion? Well, because I’m already a fan. I feel as though I have a relationship with these characters and I can’t wait to see where the storyline is going to go. Also, by the time the movie hits theaters the anticipation has been building up for months and I couldn’t wait another second, let alone 5 months to get it on DVD.
Disney’s production of the Marvel superhero movies has taken sequels to a whole new level. The introduction of The Avengers was genius and pulled from audiences of Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, and Thor. I was a huge fan of the Iron Man movies, but I wasn’t a fan of the others until The Avengers came out. “With Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World getting such a significant bounce from Marvel’s The Avengers this year, the bottom-line benefits of Disney’s mix-match-and-multiply strategy became crystal clear” (Lang 2). While these movies are anticipated and popular in their own right, some could argue that their main purpose is to stir more excitement for yet another sequel: The Avengers 2. Disney has taken the science of sequels and has not only struck gold twice, but has succeeded a dozen times over with the Marvel movies alone (as if Disney really needed any more gold).
While sequels may seem like a cop out, at least from the creative standpoint, they are undeniably good business and in an industry of unknowns, they give a little stability. We may all roll our eyes when we see that Hollywood is creating yet another sequel. But when it comes to the opening weekend, we are all there with our tickets in hand because we just have to see what happens next. They spark our curiosity and pull us in, time and time again. It’s genius and I think the reason that so many of us are frustrated by it, is because we didn’t think of it ourselves.
Works Cited
- Acuna, Kirsten. “The 15 Highest Grossing Movies of 2013”, Business Insider. December 14, 2013. Web.
- Lang, Brent & Cunningham, Todd. “6 Box Office Takeaways From a Record Year of Hits and Flops”, The Wrap. December 22, 2012. Print