The new Star Wars came out, and I couldn't be more un-enthusiastic about it. There have already been seven Star Wars movies made before this one. This most recent one is called Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. So basically it is not even a part of the trilogy, but who cares, I say enough.
In 2015, Star Wars: The Force Awakenswas the first sequel to not be directed by George Lucas, instead, it was J.J. Abrams. On top of that, Disney owns the Star Wars after they bought out Lucasfilm. Harrison Ford, former Han Solo, was paid $25 million up front just to be in the movie. There were rumors (probably truths) that Ford did not want to be in the movie which is probably why he was offered so much money to be in it. The movie made over 2 billion dollars at the box office.
It seems as though Hollywood makes these sequels because they know people will go, because 'Star Wars' is in the name.
Some other recent and unimpressive sequels are Zoolander 2, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Alice through the Looking Glass, and Independence Day: Resurgence – all huge flops. Zoolander is one of my favorite movies, and I even tried to see the sequel in theaters two weeks after it came out, but it was already removed due to low attendance and ratings.
Then, of course, there are all of the unmentionable superhero/action movies. Back in the early 2000s, I loved the Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, Spiderman. Trying to do better than that is just not going to happen. So apparently in 2017, a new one is coming out with a 20-year-old boy cast as Peter Parker. Like seriously, just stop.
Again, people are going to go out and see it, just because 'Spiderman' is in the name.
And it's not just movies on this trend--it's everything. We've got old TV shows making new comebacks: Full House and the Gilmore Girls are the most popular. There are many, many more that have been brought back to life as a sort of a 'Frankenstein' (meaning it's been brought back to life, and now it's just a big old mess).
The Olsen Twins refused to be in the new Full House, now called Fuller House, for different reasons, and I think it was a cool move on their part. I respect when actors and actresses turn down roles that would diminish what they stand for, their originality, reputation, etc. They would rather keep their dignity and respect than do a lousy reboot for some extra cash.
Talk has been swirling around a Will & Grace Revival which is one that I would make an exception for maybe, but let's face it, it could never be as good as the original.
This 'Age of the Sequel' can be attributed to our current world of fast news and immediate entertainment. It takes less time to take an old story and put a new twist on it than it does to come up with a whole new story idea. Originality is showing barely any signs of life nowadays.
Other examples are television commercials. Basically, 9 out of 10 commercials take an old song then make a crappy rendition of it for their background music. I majored in advertising, and I can tell you, these ad people are getting pretty lazy.
Let's not forget the music industry. Radio bands all sound a dime a dozen. They've all got their own writers and auto-tune machines. They are basically puppets. I couldn't tell you the name of any mainstream band today except for Imagine Dragons and One Direction? Not to say that aren't a lot of great bands out there today because there are many, they just are not getting put in the spotlight. There is even the trend of putting an old song in a new song and singing over it which is kind of insane.
I totally get that the 1950s through early 2000s were fantastic for all things entertainment and culture, and it feels like we have gone through every movie and song idea, but that's not true. We can still use some of these styles, trends, and ideas, just not outright use the same exact story or song.
The reality is that anything is possible, and we all have to step up and bring some originality to the table.
P.S. The best adaptation that will ever be, is the FX TV show Fargo, based similarly off the 1996 movie. Now THAT is an exception. If you want a cool show to watch, this is it.
