Did you know that Godzilla has 38 films in the series?
For years, brilliant movies have been released along with average sequels. While they bring in billions of dollars of revenue, do we need them?
Many companies promote these sequels to teenagers today. Sequels like Moana 2 and Inside Out 2 overtook the movie theatres in 2024, with Inside Out 2 grossing $653.0 million. Moana 2 will soon be the third movie of 2024 to break the $1 billion mark. Many kids who are now teenagers grew up with these movies, making the new sequels pique their interest. Many are curious about the changes from their childhood movies, and companies know this. Even with a below-average movie like Moana 2, production companies know that audiences will be back for more to reconnect with their childhood.
While these movies are great, most have a completed plotline and don’t need unnecessary sequels. Kids appreciate a happy ending, which is why almost all of these productions can stand alone. In Moana, the Heart of Tahiti was restored to the island. In Frozen, the sisters restore their relationship with each other. Why create another plotline when the first one is already complete? This produces audience fatigue, making viewers tired of the plot line.
Many movie series experience creative fatigue when writing multiple plot lines. They tend to play into the same formulaic tropes that are very predictable. This causes an exhausting and stressful plot. Eventually, the movies lose originality by missing the first movie’s purpose and devaluing any depth/meaning that could be added. Denis Y. Orlov and Evgeniy M. Ozhegov from the National Research University write “Mainly, as it was found, sequels generate more box office due to the higher amounts of money invested into the production, more number of theatres involved into the release of the movie and the number of days in release.” The main purpose that the drive for profit then overshadows the first movie plot of a series honors.
Choose originality over a series if you are looking for a solid movie with a sufficient plot. Let’s not rehash the same repeating ideas. Find fresh new ones.