It seems like every month there’s a “new” movie remake coming out. First it’s “How to Train Your Dragon” live action, and now it’s “Tangled.” Though it’s not just remakes, book adaptations like “The Housemaid” are also extremely popular among theaters. But does popularity equal quality, creativity, or originality?
“My biggest critique of modern Hollywood is that too much of it is remakes,” Eric Sayre, an English and Film Lit teacher at Lincoln East, said. “Too many sequels, too many adaptations, and too many franchises to where they’re squeezing out the space for the original movies.”
In 2024, the top 10 highest-grossing box office films were all sequels or adaptations. The year before, it was the same thing. “Oppenheimer” is a creative approach, but it’s based on real events. “Barbie” is up for debate over whether it’s an original film or not. The idea is creative, but Barbie is already an existing franchise. AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) says it’s adapted, whereas WGA (Writers Guild of America) argues the opposite. Regardless, remakes, sequels, and everything else down that road seem to rake in billions of dollars. They’re fun watches, but these aren’t the movies that will leave us thinking and praising the originality of screenwriters.
“I think the original stories are the ones that speak to us the most profoundly and will stick with us,” Sayre said. “We’ll remember them and want to revisit years and years down the road.”
Some original classics from the past we might think of are “Star Wars,” “Alien,” “Back to the Future,” “The Matrix,” and “Inception.” All of these, except for “Inception,” have turned into successful franchises (it was intended to be only a standalone). In fact, the list could go on and on for original films turned franchises. When there’s a movie that people love, they want to see more of it and find comfort in watching the same plot. The same goes for these producers; they make the most money from keeping things the same because they know people will pay to watch it. Hollywood doesn’t want to take any risks because they know they’re guaranteed money if they stick with what they know.
I mean, I even paid to see the book adaptation of “Regretting You” by Colleen Hoover in theaters. I’ve never read the book, but there was so much hype around the movie, and I didn’t want to be left out. It was great, and I’d love to watch it again, but purely because it’s fun. I didn’t walk away with a message or admire the writing, and that’s the problem with popcorn entertainment.
“Movies coming out now seem to be remakes or live-action versions of something else,” Caroline Caldwell, a sophomore and president of Film Club at Lincoln East, said. “I’m not really a big fan of that, because we already have it. I want to see more creativity, so I hope that in the future there’s more new stuff.”
Though in the past, adaptations have created a revolution in the film industry. Jaws receives the most praise from filmmakers due to its quality, suspense, pacing, and being the first movie to gross over $100 million. Jurassic Park, The Wizard of Oz, and Planet of the Apes are other great examples.
If we only produced original films, we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the minds of authors. So many good books deserve a movie, like “Harry Potter” or “The Lord of the Rings.”
“I think after having read the book and visualizing it, then you can have some interesting discussions about choices the director made,” Sayre said. “What do you think about the choice to leave this in or to cut this out? I think that level of engagement sparks from critical thinking. It can be a really exciting thing for people to experience both, so you can have thoughts and opinions.”
That being said, reviving movies from the past also sparks nostalgia. “Top Gun: Maverick” was highly successful, despite being released 36 years after the original movie. Tom Cruise was an icon in the 80s, so bringing him back for a sequel in 2022 naturally intrigued a lot of people. Over 50% of people who watched were over 35 years old, and 37% of those were over 55. Even though the demographic is skewed to older generations, younger generations didn’t need that nostalgia to enjoy the movie.
“Is this another Hollywood money grab?” Sayre said. “Yet they found a way to further the character in a meaningful way that made sense.”
For me, I feel nostalgic when I watch “Toy Story 4.” It takes me back to my early childhood, and maybe that’s the goal of making live-action films from animated ones. I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when I found out Tangled was getting a live-action, because it’s unnecessary. But now, I find myself excited and curious to see what the producer will come up with to keep it unique. We all search for comfort, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with finding that in a plot we’re familiar with.
“Something that speaks to the audiences in terms of if it’s going to last,” Sayre said. “If it’s going to be memorable in terms of its characters and story structure. I think it’s the same classic elements that we look for in a good book.”
So, does popularity equal quality, creativity, or originality? I’ll give you the answer just like an open-ended movie. Yes and no. People love what they know, but there’s so much growth in new ideas and risks. Hollywood is in a lull of original ideas, but that doesn’t mean the ones it’s producing are boring.
“It’s got to grab us in some way,” Sayre said.
I hope there will be a new surge of creativity in the future, but as of now, I can settle for rewatching my favorite Disney princesses in live-action.
