NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
If you think that Hollywood has run out of ideas with nostalgia tours and reboots, then you’re not going to like this one. The next big wave in entertainment isn’t just the reboots, recycles, and retreads, it’s franchises. Yes, as soon as a studio sees a bit of success, we have to all of a sudden be treated to not only sequel after sequel, but we’re getting prequels and side stories galore.
Yep, shows like Game of Thrones are coming out with spinoffs such as House of the Dragon and Knights of the Seven Kingdoms. Chicago Fire turned into Chicago P.D. and Chicago MED. Dexter is getting both a prequel series and a sequel series to the Showtime original. That’s kind of where we are with Hollywood right now. Not only are they starting to realize they’re running out of ideas and taking fewer chances on flops, but they’re also milking the things we do love to death in hopes that fans will flock to see them.
I mean really, does anyone need another Toy Story? Not want, need it? Can we leave Goonies in the past and consider it a classic piece of cinema? Do we really need a Gremlins 3? Now we’ve got a Rings of Power show which is a prequel to Lord of the Rings. There was an animated movie that came out in December of last year. Then there are talks of more movies coming down the pipeline.
As an avid reader, television enthusiast, and all-around movie lover, the more content and backstory we get, I’m a happy guy. However, can’t we learn from Hollywood’s past? Sequels are almost always trash. There aren’t many movies that the second in the series is as good as the original. Do you know why that is? It’s because it’s a half-hearted attempt to recapture lightning in a bottle. Rocky could’ve stayed a Rocky franchise without a Creed trilogy, but here we are. Creed as a solo film would’ve been a great addition, but how long before there’s a Creed spinoff now too?
Why is this the new trend in Hollywood? Truth be told, it’s growing more with television than in cinema but it’s still a problem. The Walking Dead has had multiple spinoffs and no one batted an eye. At the end of the day, it’s just the studios’ way of being cheap while appealing to the fans. Think of it this way, they don’t want to pay a large ensemble cast anymore recurring roles and salaries. Streaming doesn’t have consistent revenue the way that it would by getting sponsorships, so they have to foot a lot of the bill themselves. So what do they do? Cut costs by releasing seasons that are only 6-12 episodes long, which was half of network television.
But that’s only half of the equation.
With fewer per-episode paydays, actors and crew have to find multiple projects to be involved with. That pushes back availability and limits exclusivity from the studio. Production takes twice as long to get these shows out. So what do they do? They create a “new” series with a similar concept to keep the audience on the hook. If your favorite show takes 2 years between seasons, why not hire a completely new cast now we can release their show that just dives into the backstory of the other show or expands the universe, boom! Fans are still interested and it keeps them at bay a little longer.
At the end of the day, that’s why all these shows are going to transition. Tired of waiting for the next season of House of the Dragon? Good, next year we’ll have Knights of the Seven Kingdoms on deck. Stuck on the cliffhanger for Dexter: Original Sin? Don’t worry, Dexter: Resurrection will keep you occupied. As studios adjust to content demands and streaming schedules they’ll continue to churn out stories they’ve already had success with. If you’re looking for “original content” in the future, good luck as it will be further and fewer between.
