Why are Sci-Fi movies so generic nowadays?

In short... money.

Corporations want to maximise box office. Hell, with movies costing £200 million+ to make, studios NEED to maximise box office. We're at a point now where a movie needs to make north of $600 million just to break even.

How do you do that? Well, your movie must appeal to as many people as possible. You can't afford to offend any significant demographic, and you must incorporate something for all demographics. So for instance, the Star Wars prequels. They stuck Samuel L Jackson in as a Jedi, because they need to appeal to black people. Never mind that Jackson is a shouty angry type of actor who does shouty angry roles, and Jedi are nothing like that - he wasn't cast for his acting ability, he was cast so black people would pay to see the movie.

Your movie must serve as an advertising platform for spin-off media. So it has to contain elements that can be turned into toys. Remember Padme? Stood around saying bland things, wore all sorts of different dresses? That's so they could get girls to buy Padme dolls and a dozen different outfits to dress her in. Ever wonder why every single character in a Star Wars movie gets a background and a name? Even the background extras who walk past in one scene? That's so dolls of them can be sold, and spin off novels written featuring them.

The story has to be structured in such a way that it can be easily turned into a computer game, or several computer games. Ever notice how movie action scenes are looking more like computer game action scenes lately? That's why. And there must be potential for the spin off comic book series. The spin off TV series. The McDonalds meal deal tie-in.

Most importantly, your movie must not end, as such. The story cannot come to a conclusion - it must be left open for the sequel. Your story must span at least three movies, preferably four - and the gold standard is that your story allow an ongoing story with no end point. So instead of an ending, your movie must merely resolve today's problem, whilst clearly establishing that there will be another problem tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

And that's why they are so generic. Because every expensive movie made is written by a committee, and all of them according to the same formula, for the same ultimate goal that the studio is aiming for.

Beautifully Said , Graham !! You can see these mainstream movies are made specifically to make money.. you can actually hear the Producer saying 'Action!' and rubbing his hands at the monetary return . Star Wars The Force Awakens with it's obvious copying of the Original Movie , but only Bigger ! The new Star Trek with it's Toy-Boy Heroes who don't know that the storyline ran for nearly 50 years and don't understand respect for that .
The same for Ghostbusters too . Ive heard !
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Thanks!

The Star Trek movies are interesting in how they are so incredibly similar to The Force Awakens in their strengths and weaknesses. JJ has his things that he likes, and he just runs with them every time!

Ghostbusters I saw for the first time the other week. It's truly a terrible movie. It's not badly made, as such, and not badly acted, but it's horribly, horribly unfunny. I saw it with a friend - a female friend, so no misogyny there! - and we both sat through the entire thing without laughing one single time.

There are some great youtube videos explaining all the politics that went on behind the scenes with Ghostbusters. Sony really thought this would be a huge new franchise for them - they envisaged movie sequels, cartoons, a live action TV show, you name it. Thought it would rake in billions of dollars. Nope! Not happening! 


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If I could stop a rapist from raping a child I would. That's the difference between me and god.

What did you think of Edge of Tomorrow?


Life can be arbitrary and comes without a warranty.

A movie rife with Hollywood sci-fi/action movie cliches that just so happens to have 1, "sort of" original idea.

The entire thing left me completely cold.

No offense to anyone but I actually had a bit of schadenfruede everytime I saw people raving about how "incredibly creative" it was.

Little bits of The Matrix+ Little bits of AVATAR + a time travel Gimmick= Edge of Tomorrow.


However in my original post I was more specifically talking about space exploration movies.

Zardoz (1974) has spoken!
My top 100 http://www.imdb.com/list/ls079512886/

If you think Edge of Tomorrow is generic and uncreative, then maybe you should stop watching mainstream sci-fi movies and start reading sci-fi books. Seriously.

I see you have a problem with going along for the ride. I'm not a huge action fan, but this film was pretty damned good.

What recent space exploration movies do you take issue?


Life can be arbitrary and comes without a warranty.

We're at a point now where a movie needs to make north of $600 million just to break even.
There are many movies made for far, far less. Good ones, too.