So I thought The Creator was brilliant. I watched it in the cinema, thoroughly enjoyed it and was gobsmacked when I learned it’s budget was only $79 million. It looks better than some films I’ve seen that cost three times that.
But apparently, while it may make that back, it’s unlikely to even earn $100 million globally.
So the answer to the question of why Hollywood churns out the same shite over and over is that, currently, tragically, that is what the masses want to spend their money on.
And that makes me sad.
The top 2 movies this year were not sequels, reboots, or remakes:
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/2023/?ref_=bo_yl_table_1
1 Barbie $635,171,975
2 The Super Mario Bros. Movie $574,934,330
2 more in the top 10:
5 Oppenheimer $323,715,325
10 Sound of Freedom $184,038,874
So 4 out of the top 10, including the top 2 are new to film.
Not bad… The reason the Creator didn’t do well is that it’s apparently not very good:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_creator_2023
While Barbie and Mario aren’t sequels, they are very much banking on the fact that they are extremely well established brands worldwide.
Oppenheimer has Christopher Nolan’s name.
In the end it’s all about branding and marketing. Sequel are easy to market, as well as other well known brands, and superstar directors or actors.
The Sound of Freedom is genuinely a rare surprise.
Super Mario Bros (1993) https://imdb.com/title/tt0108255/
Super Mario Bros (2023) https://imdb.com/title/tt6718170/
Of course, there is an inevitable sequel coming to one of these movies…
Bad