Hollywood studios are not short of ideas; they are short of courage.
In 1985, film critic Roger Ebert identified the ‘movie-sequel madness’ of the 1980s, noting upcoming follow-ups to The Karate Kid (1984), Ghostbusters (1984), and Beverly Hills Cop (1984). He concluded that “the original hit picture has the inspiration, and the sequels are almost always pale imitations.” 40 years later, in 2025, following the release of Karate Kid: Legends (2025), Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024), and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Ebert’s observation arguably rings even truer, as all three legacy sequels have received lower IMDb ratings than their original film. Since 1985, Hollywood studios have continuously covered familiar territory and made billions in the process, from Disney’s live-action remakes to an overload of nostalgia-driven legacy sequels. However, despite often sweeping the box office, with 15 of the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time being sequels or remakes, they almost always fail critically, dismissed as the ‘pale imitations’ they so often are. Based on a study of 1,200 films, data scientist Alex Bass also found that sequels, on average, score 0.8 points lower than their originals on IMDb. Why, then, do remakes and sequels almost always fall short of their originals? And why does Hollywood seem to rely on them more than ever?
In 1916, Thomas Dixon Jr. released The Fall of a Nation, the first ever film sequel, capitalising on D.W. Griffith’s financially successful The Birth of a Nation (1915). It flopped, sparking the trend of sequels rarely living up to the quality of their predecessors. 109 years later, this trend continues today, with numerous franchises declining in quality with each installment. Most modern sequels wear concepts thin, like a lemon squeezed dry and still unable to fill the glass to the brim. Plots are stretched thin, characters are misunderstood, and stakes are artificially heightened. Audiences are often left unsatisfied, robbed of what could have been a nuanced, well-planned story, intended to span multiple films. Instead, most sequels are rushed, solely created for their ease and profitability. Sequels are easier to market, cast, write, and fund, so it is no wonder Hollywood grows more and more reliant on them as cinemas grow quieter every year.
Given the price of a cinema ticket, the average moviegoer is more inclined to watch something familiar, such as a sequel. This contributes to what Leonardo DiCaprio described as ‘a day and age where we’re sort of saturated by remakes and franchises,’ while promoting One Battle After Another (2025) as a completely original concept, urging audiences to take the risk of experiencing something new. While some sequels are better received than their predecessors, like Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Top Gun: Maverick (2022), or Paddington 2 (2017), it is more likely for sequels to prioritise profit over any other aspect. With larger budgets, sequels often feel the need to upgrade the presentation of a film with elaborate sets and new characters, frequently forgetting the core ideas that made the original captivating in the first place.
Another cash cow milked by Hollywood is remakes. Since Georges Méliès’ 1896 remake of Playing Cards, countless remakes have been produced, reframing original stories through a contemporary lens. Remakes have various purposes, whether it is to showcase more advanced technology, reimagine characters for modern audiences, or (arguably, most importantly) capitalize on an existing fan base. The latter has become especially prevalent in recent years as more remakes are based on films that have not exactly gathered dust. How to Train Your Dragon (2010) was still relevant and widely regarded as one of DreamWorks’ best productions at the time of its remake’s release earlier this year. The remake was largely criticised for its lack of originality, raising the question of why it needed to exist in the first place. The same criticism was directed towards Snow White (2025) and Lilo and Stitch (2025), which led to Disney putting their live-action remake of Tangled (2010) on hold. Regardless, other studios still plan to produce remakes with titles like Clue, Highlander, and The Chronicles of Narnia set to release in the coming years. Remakes are often criticised for their lack of originality, but this rarely hinders their domination of the box office.
For example, The Lion King (2019) earned $1.6 billion. As part of Disney’s expanding catalogue of live-action remakes, the film closely replicates the original narrative while adding an extra half hour to its runtime, leaving many critics to dismiss it as a ‘bloated’ and ‘soulless’ product compared to the 88-minute classic. Some of the most successful remakes, on the other hand, such as The Departed (2006), The Thing (1982), or Scarface (1983), almost remove themselves entirely from the originals, extracting the core details and relevantly reinterpreting them for contemporary audiences. These stories are retold with clear visions from auteur directors. Audiences are rarely satisfied with a verbatim retelling of something they already like. A remake based on an already hugely successful film is, almost by design, guaranteed to fail critically. As the old saying goes, ‘lightning never strikes the same place twice’.The ‘movie-sequel madness’ Roger Ebert described 40 years ago is not solely attributable to the 1980s. The 2020s brought a new era of ‘movie-sequel madness’ as more and more original films flop, from Mickey 17 (2025) to Elio (2025) to Eddington (2025). Clearly, Hollywood is using sequels and remakes as a safety net, almost always ensuring an opening-weekend smash hit. Given the rising cost of cinema tickets and the significant funds required to produce a mainstream film, both audiences and studios gravitate towards safer options, such as sequels or remakes. This has created the age described by Leonardo DiCaprio, where audiences are spoilt for choice when it comes to sequels, and original films are pushed to independent cinemas or streaming services. And with the announcement of The Simpsons Movie 2 (2027), it is clear that sequels, remakes, and franchises will continue to dominate for the foreseeable future. Hollywood studios are not short of ideas; they are short of courage.
Image Credit: IMDB
