We are in the era of endless sequels and reboots...but can we really blame Hollywood?

Hollywood has become a mixture of reboots, revivals, and sequels

Personally, I love a good sequel. If done right, it gives a chance to learn more about and spend more time with some of our favorite characters; a lot of the time, especially for superheroes, we get to spend more time with them because their origin story has already been told. For example, just think about how amazing some sequels are such as Spider-man 2 and The Dark Knight.

However, sometimes sequels fall victim to a complete lack of originality and exist purely to cash in on the novelty that the original brought to the table. While they may still be exciting and entertaining, they exist simply to milk a fan favorite for all it is worth (Pitch Perfect 3, The Hangover 2, etc). Unfortunately, it seems as if we have reached a point where it is becoming harder and harder to come by ideas that have not been done before ushering us into the era of reuse and recycle.

Can we really blame them though?

Think about it, we have been making movies for over 100 years with hundreds of new films coming out per year. That means that over 10,000 movies have been made, not counting films that never reached the mainstream. While there may be an endless amount of ideas, there are certainly not an endless amount of film-worthy ideas. You can put all of the "original" spins you want on an idea, but the truth remains that it is probably not 100% original.

Roseanne was a popular revival that was cut short (for good reason)

In my lifetime, I have written about 10 film synopses and outlines as well as 2 short film scripts. I have also contributed on 2 feature length scripts, and I can assure you that as hard as I have tried to be original, there are certainly influences from films I have enjoyed in my life. Thinking on the script I am currently working on, I am sure that there are certain past ideas and cliches that will creep in to the film.

It is because of these repetitions that production companies are leaning on sequels to original ideas and everyone's favorite movie type: the reboot. I mean think of it this way: why would try to be original and then accused of ripping off past ideas ad rehashing old concepts when you can just directly use old ideas that have proven to work. This is why original films are harder to find; leaning on past success is the safest move to make.

Independence Day Resurgence was another sequel that no one asked for

In the past couple years, we have seen revivals of past successes such as Roseanne hit the small screen while older movies such as Independence Day and Top Gun are getting sequels decades after the first premiered. Hell, even Amazon is getting in on the party with an entire series based in Middle Earth due for release in the next few years.

Despite the success of Netflix and Hulu, theatres still remain a hugely profitable business, and Hollywood needs to make successful films to get people to spend money. This is why they lean on past successes: it is safe. Original ideas are hard to come by, and reused ideas are proven. We may get sick of the multiple sequels and remakes, but can we really blame them?