Tired Franchises Hollywood Refuses To Let Die

Friendly Space Ninja・2 minutes read

Hollywood is rebooting old franchises like Harry Potter, Twilight, Men In Black, and Charlie's Angels, often facing failure and audience disappointment due to the inability to capture the original vibe and tone. Despite concerns about originality and overextension, Disney's live-action remakes like Aladdin and The Lion King continue to be highly profitable, leading to a series of upcoming remakes and a lack of original content in their business model.

Insights

  • Hollywood's trend of rebooting beloved franchises like Harry Potter, Twilight, and Charlie's Angels often leads to failure due to an inability to capture the original essence and tone, resulting in poor ratings and box office performance.
  • Established franchises like James Bond, Fast and Furious, and Disney's live-action remakes face challenges in maintaining their original impact and excitement over time, with concerns arising about potential overextension, lack of originality, and the risk of tarnishing the legacy of beloved classics.

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Recent questions

  • What is the current trend in Hollywood?

    Rebooting classic franchises into TV series.

  • What challenges do franchises face?

    Struggles with sequels and reboots.

  • What is Disney's approach to remakes?

    Producing financially successful live-action remakes.

  • How has the Terminator franchise evolved?

    Faced challenges with reboots and sequels.

  • What is the reception of Pixar's original content?

    Maintaining originality in Disney's lineup.

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Summary

00:00

Hollywood's Franchise Revival Struggles and Successes

  • The Harry Potter Saga is being rebooted into a 10-season TV series on HBO Max covering all seven books.
  • Lionsgate is also rebooting the Twilight Saga into a TV show.
  • Hollywood is focused on creating billion-dollar franchises to compete with Disney.
  • Numerous reboots, sequels, remakes, and adaptations are being produced, causing franchise fatigue.
  • Examples include reboots of Evil Dead, Indiana Jones, Bad Boys, Spy Kids, and more.
  • Many revivals or adaptations of beloved franchises have not been successful, like the Power Rangers reboot.
  • Men In Black franchise has faced challenges with sequels and reboots, including a failed crossover with 21 Jump Street.
  • Jurassic Park franchise has struggled with sequels, with director Colin Trevorrow admitting they should not exist.
  • Charlie's Angels franchise has seen multiple attempts at revival, including a failed animated film and a TV series reboot.
  • Hollywood has been persistently trying to revive the Charlie's Angels franchise for the past 20 years.

16:00

Reviving Franchises: Successes and Failures

  • September 22nd, 2011, marked the 35th anniversary of the original Charlie's Angels series, leading to the release of the 2011 reboot that quickly failed due to poor ratings.
  • ABC canceled the 2011 Charlie's Angels reboot after only four episodes, not completing the planned 13-episode season, and airing only seven of the eight finished episodes.
  • Sony Pictures attempted to revive the Charlie's Angels franchise with a 2019 reboot starring Kristen Stewart, directed by Elizabeth Banks, which flopped at the box office, grossing only $8 million against a $97 million budget.
  • The failure of the 2019 Charlie's Angels reboot led to the immediate cancellation of planned sequels, signaling the end of the franchise's attempts at revival.
  • Hollywood's persistent efforts to revive outdated franchises like Charlie's Angels and Men in Black are often met with failure due to the inability to capture the original vibe and tone of the shows from the '70s and '80s.
  • The James Bond franchise, created in 1953 by Ian Fleming, has seen 25 films in the main series, with seven actors portraying Bond across 27 films, experiencing highs and lows in critical and audience reception.
  • Out of the nine Bond films released between 1995 and 2021, only three are considered good, with the franchise struggling to maintain the same level of excitement and impact on pop culture as in its earlier years.
  • The Fast and Furious franchise, which began in 2001, has evolved into a series known for its over-the-top action and entertainment value, with some films being hits while others are forgettable.
  • Universal's decision to extend the Fast and Furious franchise with multiple sequels and spin-offs, including an animated TV show, has raised concerns about the franchise's longevity and potential overextension.
  • Disney's Live Action remakes, starting with Cinderella in 2015, have been financially successful despite mixed critical reception, leading to a series of remakes that continue to be produced due to their box office success.

32:07

Disney's Profitable Remakes Spark Originality Concerns

  • Disney released live-action remakes of Dumbo, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Lady and the Tramp within a short period, despite mixed reviews.
  • Aladdin made a billion dollars, The Lion King made 1.6 billion dollars, and Disney continued with more remakes like Mulan, Pinocchio, and Peter Pan.
  • Disney announced upcoming remakes of Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Bambi, The Aristocats, and Moana.
  • Despite criticism, Disney's remakes are highly profitable, leading to concerns about the lack of originality in their business model.
  • Pixar continues to produce original content like Coco, Turning Red, and Soul, maintaining some originality in Disney's lineup.
  • Disney's decision to continue the Toy Story franchise with a fifth movie is met with criticism, with concerns about ruining the original trilogy's legacy.
  • The Alien franchise saw success with the first two movies but struggled with sequels and spin-offs like Alien vs. Predator, Prometheus, and Alien: Covenant.
  • Ridley Scott's return to the Alien franchise with Prometheus was divisive, leading to a disjointed sequel, Alien: Covenant, which underperformed.
  • The Alien franchise faced numerous cancellations and changes in plans for sequels and TV shows, causing confusion and disappointment among fans.
  • The Terminator franchise, after the success of the first two movies, faced multiple reboots and sequels that failed to capture the original magic, leading to financial losses and audience disappointment.

48:33

Terminator franchise should have stuck to roots

  • Mackenzie Davis, a main character in "Dark Fate," expressed doubt about the possibility of sequels being made, highlighting that the original Terminator movie was a small-scale horror slasher with unique lore, suggesting that the franchise should have stuck to its roots instead of aiming for bigger spectacles with each reboot.
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged the poorly written sequels, indicating that the Terminator franchise has lost its appeal and relevance, despite discussions of a complete reboot by James Cameron, reflecting a general sentiment that the franchise should have ended after the first two movies.
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