My thought on this is that it's largely the fault of audiences. Big Hollywood studios are in the business of making money through providing entertainment that consumers will pay for. Ultimately, they don't care about art or originality or even quality. They care about their bottom lines.
It's simple supply and demand economics. If the general audience suddenly turned their backs on remakes, sequels, prequels, etc, in favour of original films (although they'd probably have to watch most of those original films outside of cinemas nowadays) that's where the investment would be made.
But mainstream audiences have made it shockingly easy for studios to make money from old rope. 'Well, I don't really want this belated sequel to that movie I liked from the 1980s. But I suppose I'll have to see it.' 'Well, the last three movies in this franchise weren't any good -- but this new one might be better.' 'Oh, well, this is a different Spider-Man.'
There is no solution to this that doesn't involve a significant drop in demand for these products. (And I use the word 'products' advisedly.)
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Anotherday (7591)
12 days ago
But mainstream audiences have made it shockingly easy for studios to make money from old rope. 'Well, I don't really want this belated sequel to that movie I liked from the 1980s. But I suppose I'll have to see it.' 'Well, the last three movies in this franchise weren't any good -- but this new one might be better.' 'Oh, well, this is a different Spider-Man.'
This is very reasonable. I wonder if it falls into the chicken or the egg scenario. Did audiencesjust go for bad sequels which gives studios reason to release these movies or do studios put out bad movies so often audiences don't have much choice?
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capuchin (2734)
12 days ago
Certainly, in multiplex cinemas, audiences no longer have much choice. As Kowalski says above, they're basically franchise exhibition houses now. So -- in that sense -- there's a chicken and egg thing or at least a vicious circle.
Thing is, Kowalski's also right that the other stuff isn't going back to cinemas -- because audience habits have changed. They pick an Event Movie to watch on a big screen every once in a while and watch everything else in the comfort of their own home.
So if you destroy the blockbuster, you also destroy mainstream theatrical distribution now.
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