What are your feelings on all these reboots and remakes happening? I feel as if Hollywood isn't taking creative risks anymore and going for what was big "in the day" not really asking if audiences want those types of movies anymore. BTW, I don't know that I would want to see any of these remade or rebooted. Maybe write a follow up to a couple but we don't have to start over.
https://screenrant.com/most-wanted-movie-reboots/Screenwriting : Reboots by Theophilus Lamar
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Its sad, I am Star Wars out and Marvell out as well. I think every studio should have a small budget to take risks on up and coming writers with good stories lines. Not everything needs 50 million in special effects. I remember as a kid all the great horror films in the 70's that did a great job with small budgets.
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You are right. But this is a business and when they have a following they will milk it for every penny. Had a guy ask me if there was any possible merchandising with my scripts. It’s about bucks. These films cost millions so they have to make millions to justify them. However I do feel that in between they still put out some quality pieces.
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I can only blame the audience. If people refused to show up for sequels and reboots then studios will stop making them. But many people don't want originality, they want comfort in their expectations, so it becomes very expensive to market an original movie and get people comfortable enough to go to the box office. This is one reason why Hollywood loves adaptations - there's a built in audience that already has a sense of comfort and will show up on opening day.
In all fairness, it's somewhat related to the prices of the box office. As ticket prices and concession costs have risen over time, audiences are less willing to try out something new that might be a dud. They are more willing to try a new television program because there is no extra perceived cost of entry, especially now that many things are on demand if you miss it live.
Every studio swings for the fences - originals and reboots.
Netflix dropped $150M on Michael Bay's original movie "6 Underground", the same company that funded The Irishman and Marriage Story.
Stop looking for excuses. There are plenty of original movies made every year.
I like a lot of the reboots. Many started off as books which lead to film and TV. This leads to more employment and increased revenue.
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This is a source of extreme frustration for me. The reason behind the endless remakes/reboots is monetary, nothing more, and is a huge kick in the face to all the new talent out there that is not being allowed to showcase their original works as a result. Hollywood's not out of original ideas, rather production companies are forcefully keeping originality out of Hollywood. They know that if something already has a "pre-existing fan base" it's guaranteed to make money. They know you'll go to see, even if it's just to see how bad it is. So if it's been done before-it already has a fan base-its guaranteed income. The safety net of the pre-existing fan base is the downfall of originality in Hollywood. They're now actually filtering out stories based on whether or not they've been done before. I myself have received feedback from friends in the industry saying that my "story is amazing but unless it has a pre-existing fan base good luck getting anyone to produce it" as "studios don't want to go up against Marvel and DC giants" (with sci-fi /fantasy/adventures scripts) unless they know the film is guaranteed to make money, and the only way to guarantee that--is by having a pre-existing fan base. The nostalgia reels people in, but as we can see in Stranger Things, there are other ways to add nostalgia to your work create a new fan base and make money while doing it. Hollywood needs to get back to creating and stop recreating, in my opinion. :)
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Writers are hired to write those. I have been hired to write remakes and sequels. Hollywood makes what people pay to see.
There is a built in audience. It lowers marketing costs. That is what makes them attractive.
Niche Markets. I took a class on How to succeed in Hollywood. The larger studios have a process which is mentioned above. The smaller ones maybe more accessible because less layers to reach the top. Some answer their own phones and if they are searching for projects, chances are higher you may get a meeting. Do research on them to see "How their system works" and then contact them. Streaming networks have a different approach. Do research on how each one operates.
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Hi Theo,
No disrespect to you, but "Hollywood" takes a big financial risk any single time they make a film and try to market it. So does any "non-Hollywood" filmmaker. There is a lot of competition out there, and a lot risk-takers are always chasing the same audience. And Hollywood studios either make films, or invest in the production and/or distribution in many films that are not what some people stereotype as "Hollywood films." And all of the major studios own smaller units that make such films, too.
I'm all for reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels, etc. etc. All that means to me is that more films are being made, and that more people are working. There is nothing wrong with either of those realities for me.
I'm also all for movies being re-made in order to be more relevant for the next generation of film-goers. There's nothing wrong with that to me, either.
At any given time, there is a good mix of those types of films, and of new and original films, in my local theaters. Most of the lower-budget films that I watch can't make it into the theaters for obvious financial reasons, and thankfully I have cable, rental, streaming, and purchase options available to me. When it comes to viewing films, I have my own sets of tastes, and all of those outlets fill my needs.
Best fortunes in your creative endeavors, Theo!