It seems we’re living in a world lacking originality these days.
Let me clarify. In this instance, I’m referring to the lack of original ideas coming out of Hollywood. For an industry that is built around providing entertainment, it’s been a rarity as of late to hear about or see a movie with a unique premise.
Maybe it’s because the movies that are doing the best at the box office right now are remakes, reboots or sequels. So what incentive would any filmmakers have in developing original content if it won’t sell?
One clear example is the abundance of Disney live action remakes. At first, the idea was a novelty and the movies were actually well done. “Cinderella” and “Beauty and the Beast” translated well to screen in their new iterations and making the former’s personality stronger was a welcome change.
But now, it seems like these films are just being churned out quickly because each remake is a guaranteed money-maker. In the past, I was curious to see how a familiar story would be updated, but I was swayed away from going to see both “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” the two most recent releases, because both were reviewed poorly.
If there isn’t going to be a lot of effort put into making a film, especially one that is simply rehashing an old story, don’t expect me to shell out money for an overpriced ticket to see it.
But it’s not just the vault of Disney animated classics that’s being exhausted. The studio announced on Wednesday it’s rebooting “Home Alone” for its streaming service. The top movie at the box office this week is yet another “Fast and Furious” film and I’m all for superhero movies, but I’ve seen more versions of “Batman” and “Spiderman” than I’d like to admit.
But it’s not just movies being remade into other movies. In one of the more ridiculous announcements I’ve seen, I read this week that “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” was being rebooted into a television series. Don’t get me wrong, it was a cute film, but I’m not sure a formulaic, standard rom-com warrants an update.
Old TV series are being rebooted or resurrected, either with the original cast, such as “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Will and Grace” or with new characters based on the same premise, such as “Gossip Girl.”
It’s definitely an era of nostalgia.
But at this point, it’s become too much. I don’t need to re-experience everything that has happened in the past. Rather than being wistful for a past era, I’m instead longing for one where there’s creativity again.
