It seems like the latest movies and television shows are adaptations of existing IP’s. Has Hollywood finally run out of original ideas?
I’ve noticed this trend recently. More and more new releases are re-boots, re-vamps, re-imaginings, re-worked, or flat out re-makes of stories we’ve already seen. It was one thing when Marvel took to the big screen in a huge way over 10 years ago with Iron-Man. Ultimately setting us up for 10+ years of bringing several different Marvel heroes and villains to the screen in ways never seen before. Each film building on the other to culminate in one amazing End Game. It’s another to have a highly successful Lord of the Rings Trilogy that scratched every itch, and doing it so well! Only to see Amazon offer their own Lord of the Rings show to the public.
I’m not even making the argument that these new films and TV shows will be bad. Being a huge fan of The Mandalorian series, it’s been proven to me that a single television show can almost singlehandedly save a waning franchise. Instead I wonder, can Hollywood produce anything original anymore? In the last few months there have been re-makes announced or released for: Lord of the Rings, Firestarter, West Side Story, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Dune. Sequels or Prequels include, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Jurassic Park continuation, and every new Star Wars show on Disney+. So what gives? Has creativity run dry in Hollywood?
I’m not so sure. There are new and good original shows out there for your viewing pleasure. A quick look at the recent Oscar nominations will give you a hint. Nominees for best ORIGINAL screenplay are: Belfast, Don’t Look Up, King Richard and Licorice Pizza. All original works. Television is also producing a lot of great original content with Ted Lasso, Emily In Paris, and Pen 15 being standouts. Even so, I seem to keep hearing that Hollywood’s coming up short with original work.
As a writer and creator myself, I can’t imagine waking up one day and having exactly zero new ideas. I say this because I doubt that with everyone who actually works in Hollywood, all those people are running on empty. It’s safe to say it’s not for lack of new or original ideas. Can I remind you that Hollywood is a business! It’s all about making money. Selling movies and TV shows to the masses.
It’s probably a good idea to mention this on-going pandemic that we’re still sort of in. It’s also a good idea to refer to the political divide this country is experiencing. Maybe I should mention that-in the last couple of years or so-a lot of people got sick. Some lost their jobs, some lost family members and some of those people are still drifting in the wake of those experiences. Oh, wow Brandon why so heavy? I think it’s important to mention because the public en masse need a little comforting.
We all need a little Chicken Soup for the Soul, you know what I mean? I think we’re in a moment in time where we just want to watch what we love. Especially with nerd culture-we want more of what we want! LOTR wasn’t enough for you? Well, sit tight because Amazon’s going to expand it even further! Still upset that Marvel’s Tom Holland Spider-man didn’t line up with the comics? Well, here’s a film that explains it away and brings back all your favorite Spidey’s (sorry Miles). If that wasn’t enough I think it’s time we finish up the Jurassic Park franchise and let’s go ahead and throw in Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler and Dr. Malcolm (all original actors) and round out this film (which, I’ll admit, I’m there for!).
At a time where real life can get a bit too stressful, what we want from entertainment is escape. With current affairs being what they are, Hollywood’s discovered that escapism mixed with nostalgia is a great way to get people to show up for movies. It works on me! I mean, what fan isn’t going to eat up Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield!? What fan isn’t going to show up for Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neil and Laura Dern! I certainly am, and I didn’t even watch the previous movies…but I will now! Which is exactly what Hollywood has figured out. It’s not that they’re out of original movies. They’ve simply realized we don’t want to watch them.