I was a little disappointed when I found out Pixar was making a Toy Story 5.
Like many kids who grew up during the early 2000s, I loved Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I was skeptical of Toy Story 3, but I still saw it in theaters and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. The second sequel had just as much heart as the original, just as many timeless jokes that appealed to children and adults alike. I walked out of the theater feeling a little emotional but satisfied, like I’d just said good-bye to an old friend.
The timing of Toy Story 3‘s release couldn’t have been more perfect. In 2010, my brothers were headed off to college and I was right behind them. Like Andy, we were preparing to give away our childhood toys to neighbors and family friends. The film struck a chord in a way that felt genuine, as if we were closing out this chapter of our lives with an old friend.
It felt like the perfect finale to the franchise.
And then they made Toy Story 4.
Which I’m sure was a fine film, but I have no interest in seeing it. There is no part of that story world I would like to see explored more.
When I look at IMDb’s list of upcoming films, I just feel tired.
James Cameron is making another Avatar movie, for some reason. The Scary Movie and Silent Hill franchises are still going strong. I don’t know anyone who’s excited for the upcoming sequel to the 2013 movie Now You See Me. I’m not even sure I know anyone who’s seen the original.
I keep hearing about a Back to the Future reboot. The very idea of it makes me shiver in my seat.
“Hollywood has run out of ideas,” Reddit threads and academic articles alike proclaim.
“Every film aims to make millions of dollars, removing creative integrity and the form of art that film is,” Zaynab Zlitni said in a 2023 article. “The film industry doesn’t want original ideas anymore; they just want the same film concept that makes money each time.”
Earlier this year, a movie theater in Wenatchee, Washington, unexpectedly collapsed mid-screening of the latest Captain America film.
The ceiling caved in, and the fire department responded at around 8pm on a Tuesday night to find the theater packed with debris and dust. No one was harmed and an investigation was quickly launched into the cause.
When it was revealed that there were no injuries because only two people were in the theater at the time, moviegoers couldn’t help but laugh.
“Thank goodness it was a showing of Captain America!” YouTube user joshuacalkins commented on a video about the story. “Someone could’ve gotten hurt!”
Captain America: Brave New World was panned by critics after its release, who thought it relied too heavily on references to other films in the Marvel franchise and failed to stand on its own. A popular Tumblr post after the theater collapsed refers to the movie as “slop”, saying that the two-person audience “sounds like a joke”.
The film grossed over $400 million at the worldwide box office – making it the seventh lowest earning film in the Marvel franchise. The other Marvel film released this year received better reviews but worse box office results: Thunderbolts* made barely over $380 million worldwide.
Fans and critics alike are asking if Marvel movies are dead. Critics have blamed its decline on everything from convoluted story lines to bad writing to an over-reliance on non-existent nostalgia.
The common thread remains the same, though: there are just too many damn movies.
“In 2021, [Marvel] significantly ramped up output: four Disney+ shows and four theatrical films in a single year,” Julian Lytle said in a recent article. “Every quarter, there were two concurrent Marvel projects demanding attention. Villains and lesser-known Avengers got shows and films, while brand-new characters were introduced to replicate the Guardians of the Galaxy surprise. But aside from Spider-Man—who’s a cheat code, honestly—and Doctor Strange, most of those new additions didn’t stick. They ended up confusing and exhausting audiences.”
In short, even long-time fans were sick of all the spin-offs.
In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter‘s list of the 49 most anticipated movies of the year included 39 that were based on an existing intellectual property or a well-known historical figure. The top ten domestic releases last year were all reboots, remakes, or sequels. CJ Stallworth estimated that just 18% of films released in 2024 were based on “original” content. When I look at the films playing at my local cinema, it sometimes feels like everyone is trying to make the next Avengers.
And who can blame them? Every Avengers movie has grossed over $1 billion worldwide, with Avengers: Endgame still reigning as one of the highest grossing films of all time. The first film had enough one-liners to last a lifetime. Many of them still persist in everything from memes to passing conversations.
“That’s my secret, Captain. I’m always angry.”
“I recognize the council has made a decision, but given that it’s a stupid-ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.”
“Doth mother you know weareth her drapes?”
If a film was beloved once, it can be beloved again and again and again. Repackage it into as many spin-offs as you can. Rack your brain for sequels and prequels. When you run out of those, just start over with remakes and reboots. Rinse and repeat – and collect the easy money as it rolls in the door.
“Honestly, the closest I can think of them,” Martin Scorsese said of Marvel movies in a 2019 interview. “As well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks.”
Marvel is easy to pick on simply because of their size. But they’re certainly not unique in the “reboot remake sequel prequel” world.
The sixth Karate Kid movie came out earlier this year. Fast & Furious 11 is scheduled for an April 2027 release date. The first ever live-action Star Trek comedy series is currently in development, and a new Star Wars film is set to release in May of next year. James Cameron has been tapped to make the seventh Terminator movie. There’s another Matrix movie on the way. Harry Potter is being rebooted. So are Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Scrubs.
Marvel may be dying – or at least, shrinking – but plenty of franchises are looking to copy their business model, anyway.
“There is absolutely no reason for this movie to exist,” Vadim Rizov wrote in his scathing review of Toy Story 4. “Aside from the obvious enterprise of making money. It’s fine for what it is, which is basically the best we can expect of the mass entertainment future.”
The longest-running theatrical release in film history is an honor reserved for one of the greatest movies ever made.
It has been screening in theaters around the country for the last 50 years and counting. Since its release, fans have shown their love for this film by wearing elaborate costumes, acting out scenes in their seats, and singing along with every song on the soundtrack.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show will never make $1 billion at the box office – but we’d be fools to call it an unsuccessful film.
Plenty of cult classics were box office bombs. Hocus Pocus only became a classic Halloween film because of seasonal reruns on cable channels – which eventually prompted Disney to make a sequel. The Big Lebowski – like Rocky Horror – was mainly attended by fans in costumes who already knew the film by heart. It became so popular that it was added to the National Film Registry in 2014. Scott Pilgrim vs the World failed to turn a profit during its 2010 theatrical release. Now, all of my peers reference “the vegan police” and “bi-furious” on the regular.
Conversely, I don’t think anyone in my social circle could name a single character from the Avatar movies.
The rule doesn’t just apply to cult classics. Plenty of critically acclaimed films have also been box office bombs. The Shawshank Redemption is widely considered one of the greatest movies of all time. TNT screened it for 141 hours in 2014 – or, about once a week for an entire year. The film made just $3 million in profit when it was released in 1994.
“Success” comes in a variety of different packages. The box office is surely one of those – but viewers are more than their wallets and we’re often left wanting when profit is treated as the only metric for a worthwhile film.
No one is saying that good, original movies aren’t still being made. Sinners is shaping up to be one of the most popular films of 2025. Last year’s The Substance and Anora raked in accolades and awards. A24 has given us the Best Picture winners Moonlight and Everything Everywhere All at Once – and surely more to come.
It’s just annoying to go to take your dad to the cinema on Friday and realize your only choices are another Mission: Impossible movie or a live action remake of your favorite Disney film.
In short – the audience suffers when everyone is trying to make the next Avengers and nobody is trying to make the next Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Later this year, Universal Pictures will release Wicked: For Good, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2024 blockbuster film Wicked.
Wicked is, of course, based on the critically acclaimed 2003 musical of the same name which was inspired by Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Maguire’s book was, of course, based on the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. A lesser known fact is that the 1939 film is based on the 1902 musical of the same name – which is, of course, based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
That will make Wicked: For Good a sequel to a movie based on a musical based on a book based on a movie based on a musical based on a book that was published over a century ago.
Scoff all you want. Wicked is certified fresh and has been ranked as one of the best films of 2024.
The reality is that remakes and sequels have always been a part of Hollywood. They’re nothing new, and they’re not going anywhere.
And often – they work.
The 1959 film Some Like It Hot is consistently listed as one of the best films of all time and is one of Marilyn Monroe’s best-known movies. In 1989, the Library of Congress selected it as one of the first 25 films to be preserved in the United States National Film Registry.
Some Like It Hot is a remake of a 1935 film called Fanfare of Love.
IMDb’s list of the top of 100 Greatest Movies includes at least three sequels: The Godfather Part II, Star Wars: Episode IV, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. There are also plenty of “unoriginal” book adaptations on the list – including The Shawshank Redemption, Schindler’s List, and Gone with the Wind.
The Mummy is a top contender for my favorite film of all time – despite being a remake of a 1932 movie of the same name and part of a larger media franchise featuring over ten films. The 1999 film is fun, witty, and action-packed. Best of all, it’s set in one my favorite parts of the world. It will never make a critic’s “top 100” list, but it will always bring me joy.
And maybe that’s enough.
The constant influx of remakes and reboots and sequels and prequels is undeniably annoying – and complaining about the current state of Hollywood is a time-honored tradition that Americans everywhere should be proud to continue. I mean, who was asking for a Willy Wonka origin story movie in 2023, anyway?
But movies don’t always have to be high art or even original to be entertaining.
There’s nothing wrong with indulging in five animated films about talking toys. Every Broadway hit deserves a movie remake, and Wicked should be no exception. I love seeing my favorite books become films, even if I don’t always agree with how they’re adapted to the silver screen. We will never stop making Star Trek or Star Wars films – and fans will never stop showing up to see them.
“There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor,” Roger Ebert said in his 1999 review of The Mummy. “Except that I was cheered by nearly every minute of it. I cannot argue for the script, the direction, the acting or even the mummy, but I can say that I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased. There is a little immaturity stuck away in the crannies of even the most judicious of us, and we should treasure it.”
I’ve already marked my calendar to go see Wicked: For Good later this year.
When I saw that Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis had confirmed a Freaky Friday sequel, I immediately texted my mom.
“We have to go see this together,” I told her, remembering how many times we watched reruns of the original on cable growing up.
My colleague and his friends saw A Minecraft Movie on opening night just to yell “chicken jockey” at the top of their lungs with the rest of the theater. I watch Star Trek: First Contact every April 5, and I can not wait to watch Season 3 of Strange New Worlds this summer. One of my friends was obsessed with Nosferatu earlier this year and tried to convince me to go see it – even though I can’t stand horror.
Last Fourth of July, I queued up 1776 again and recited every line in sync with the performers. Come Halloween, I’ll be curled up with a bowl of candy and watching Coraline for the hundredth time. When I go home for the holidays, my dad and I will quote Fantastic Mr. Fox before moving into a flawless recitation of Moonstruck. I’ll suggest we watch Die Hard. He’ll protest, and we’ll watch it anyway. The following night, he’ll make me sit through a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Sure, I’m annoyed to check the theater listings and see that Disney is still making live action Lion King movies.
But mostly, I’m just grateful that I can watch Ponyo on my laptop whenever I’m feeling down. I’m glad I got to see Barbie in theaters, and I’m glad Paramount is still making Star Trek shows. I’m grateful to live in a world where so many creative people are making so many incredible projects – high-brow and low-brow, profitable and unprofitable.
And when I go see Tron: Ares in theaters in October, I might even be grateful for all the reboots and remakes and sequels and prequels.
“While I have to acknowledge that it isn’t a particularly necessary movie,” Fletcher Powell said in his review of Toy Story 4. “I also must say I’m so very glad they made it.”
Rachel M. Beard 
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