Hollywood: Are Movies Today No Longer Original Ideas?

In Hollywood, there are many writers, directors, producers, cast and crew bringing stories on paper to the big screen for audiences to enjoy around the world. But recently, it seems like the same movies release year after year that have no originality as they are either sequels, reboots, or remakes of previous films that have had high popularity and recognition in the filming industry.

This type of filmmaking to me provides a realization that the high intensity of creativity seems to be decreasing and the main focus being put on reboots and remakes due to their overwhelming popularity. This may be true to some, but it seems like the remakes and reboots are being made for the wrong reasons as they cannot be replaced by new versions as easily as creating a new trilogy or solo film.

Whether that be due to profits made from theatrical runs to post theater marketing and sales of physical products, the original films themselves will be remembered for decades to come due to their high amounts of originality and creativity since they were never made previously.

Aside from the greatest original films released to date, there have recently been some films announced and/or slated for release in 2021 or 2022 that are influenced largely by the original film of that saga and its worldwide popularity. The concern with this is the following: if the original film itself was highly popular the reason for that is purely due to their originality and creative plots.

The big difference between the originals of Ghostbusters: After Life, The Matrix Resurrections, and Wonka that are coming to theaters in the next few years and being released for streaming are that they are almost always guaranteed to not be as good as the original. This is due to the fact that many different films after the originals were released perform worse and not better than the first film in that saga, and make it seem like these big studios are just releasing them as money grabs instead of creating captivating and original movies.

The one question I ask myself when I see news of a film being rebooted or remade is if we will ever see more new and original films like The Last Duel (2021) with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon or Finch (2021) with Tom Hanks. These two films based on their summaries on IMDb are very creative and have not been made repeatedly like other movies, one being the recently released The Batman (2022), as there have been many different portrayals of this character over the last few decades.

With more creativity in Hollywood comes more excitement and anticipation of a thriving industry. With that, there will come more ticket purchases, higher interest in new films, and most of all increased confidence in Hollywood from audiences around the world. There is nothing better than the thrill of buying popcorn, a ice cold Pepsi or Coke and taking a seat in a movie theater.

For decades, going to the movies has become a part of everyday society, allowing all of us to escape the world we live in for 90 minutes or more to see the world from a mystical and dramatic point of view.

Without it, the world may not know what to do as going to see movies is a way to travel into a multitude of universes and use our imagination to see that world in a way we wouldn’t see our own.

Hollywood, we’re waiting on you for new and original ideas to motivate us again to go to the theaters so show us what you got!