Movie Titles Heat Up Summer: Are Hollywood Blockbusters Just Pre-Show Entertainment?
Hollywood's Remake Revolution: A Journey Through Decades
In the world of summer blockbusters, the trend of remakes and sequels has significantly increased, transforming into a dominant strategy for studios to capitalize on nostalgia, proven franchises, and established fan bases. This shift began in the mid-1980s, moving away from mostly original content and straightforward sequels towards a prevalent model of remakes, reboots, and legacy sequels.
The golden age of remakes dates back to the 1930s, as noted by Kathleen Loock, author of Hollywood Remaking. During the transition between silent and sound films, nearly 30% of Hollywood's production was made up of remakes. This trend continued into the 2000s, with Hollywood embracing remakes of classic horror movies such as House of Wax (2005) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
The decade of the 2010s was largely defined by the success of Stranger Things and films like C̈a, which rekindled enthusiasm for the 1980s. This enthusiasm for nostalgia-driven projects extends across genres and decades, with active pursuits of sequels, spin-offs, and remakes designed to reignite interest in old favorites among both original fans and new audiences.
Currently, the trend is characterized by continuous efforts to revive or reboot cult classics and beloved franchises from the 1980s and beyond. For instance, attempts to reboot The Last Starfighter—a 1984 cult sci-fi film—underscore how Hollywood often mines the past for content ripe for modernization.
Gareth Edwards, director of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, wanted the audience to feel like they were discovering a 1990s film. This desire for nostalgia is evident in the release of a self-proclaimed rebirth of the franchise derived from Jurassic Park on July 4th. Similarly, on August 13th, Liam Neeson dons Leslie Nielsen's costume to revive the franchise of Y a-t-il un flic.
The latest Superman, released on July 9th, marks the ninth Superman in half a century, reflecting the norm of 25-year cycles to recreate the successes of a given era and play on the generational effect. In fact, 42 of the 57 films that have grossed over $1 billion are sequels or remakes.
Researcher Stephen Follows reports that rehashes represent 45% of the box office in 2023. This trend is not limited to films; on August 27th, a remake of The War of the Roses is released. The Maltese Falcon was reused for John Huston's 1941 masterpiece, ten years after the first adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel and five years after a first, disguised remake.
Despite the prevalence of remakes, original content remains important. According to the Writers Guild of America, 500,000 original screenplays are gathering dust. The words "remake" and "reboot" have been banned in Hollywood for decades, and euphemisms have been used instead.
As we move into the 2020s, we're looking at the next decade, the 1990s. It remains to be seen how Hollywood will continue to adapt and evolve this trend, but one thing is certain: nostalgia will continue to play a significant role in shaping summer blockbusters.
In the realm of summer blockbusters, the revival and modernization of cult classics from the 1990s, such as a potential remake of The Last Starfighter, are being actively pursued, indicating Hollywood's ongoing interest in nostalgia-driven projects. Furthermore, this affection for the past is evident in the entertainment industry as a whole, with remakes and revivals like the upcoming remake of The War of the Roses continuing to be a prominent aspect of general-news and culture discussions.
