You’ve probably noticed in recent memory that whenever you see a new movie coming out, there’s a high likelihood that it’s a sequel or a remake to something people are already familiar with, and going to see a completely original story just isn’t as common as it used to be, so why is that?
I think one of the biggest reasons for why that is, is because it’s the safest option for studios and its audiences. Just recently, according to Box Office Mojo by IMDB, “Zootopia 2” and “Inside Out 2” became some of the highest grossing animated movies of 2024 and 2025, with “Inside Out 2” briefly holding the crown for the biggest animated movie ever released.
Just within this year the movie “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the fourth movie in its series, ended up becoming the highest domestic grossing movie of all time, surpassing “Avengers: Endgame” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at over $950 million. For the studio Pixar, most of its sequels outside of “Toy Story 2” and “Cars 2” have grossed over a billion dollars globally.
Studios and audiences overtime have grown to embrace familiarity within the world of film, and sequels have become some of the biggest successes within the last two decades. Making an original movie is a high risk for studios, and if it’s a film that wouldn’t be interesting or unique enough for a large demographic, it’s the safer option going for something audiences would recognize instead. Sequels and remakes don’t need to be that strict with themselves because they are continuations of already established franchise with a built-in audience. Even if a sequal wasn’t well received critically or generally, like with “Moana 2,” it can still vastly outshine originals because of its predecessors.
That being said, some original well-made movies have started to shine recently, helping prove that original movies are not always doomed from the start. The movie “Obsession,” which had its wide release this year went on to become one of the most profitable movies ever made, on a budget of over $750,000 it grossed back over $519 million worldwide. “Obsession” also proves that original stories need to be well done, true passion can go a long ways for being a successful film that’s worth the audience’s attention. thats why I think original movies hold so much value as they carry a bright new vision that isnt weighed down by what came before.
Categories: Opinion
