Hollywood loves familiarity. Count the times you’ve walked into a theater or scrolled through a streaming service and seen the same titles reimagined for the tenth time. Another sequel, another reboot, another spin-off. The thrill of finding something genuinely new feels harder to find every year. Why is that happening? How can we bring back and value originality like it deserves?
Film studios lean on remakes and established franchises because they’re safe and profitable. Over the last few years, a huge percentage of box office hits were part of existing franchises or based on pre-existing material, like comic books, video games or novels. Meanwhile, only a handful of original films have cracked the top 50 in box office sales in recent years, like Pixar’s “Elemental” or Jordan Peele’s “Nope.”
It’s not just about the money, though. Audiences themselves are a part of the cycle. When people buy tickets for familiar franchises but skip new independent films, Hollywood thinks: “the old ideas are what work, they’re the ones making us money.” That’s how the industry ends up like it’s feeling stuck in a loop. When viewers consistently opt to watch the same old stuff, studios are increasingly disincentivized from creating original content. It’s a cycle that feeds itself: studios are worried about taking risks, and viewers are told what to expect in films before the first scene even starts.
And yet, lots of film fans and creators crave originality. That first-time feeling when you’re shocked, crying or laughing hits differently when you don’t know what’s coming. Even if they’re slightly updated or performances are strong, the story’s surprises and emotional beats don’t land the exact same way twice. It’s not lazy for filmmakers to want financial security, but it’s a huge loss when unique ideas get pushed aside for what’s safe.
Indeed, there are studios willing to take those risks. The entertainment company A24 has become a favorite of mine because it keeps pushing unusual, original scripts that major companies would probably pass up. Those films may not always top the box office, but they prove that there’s still an appetite for something different. According to IndieWire surveys, nine out of 10 moviegoers actually prefer seeing original films, and when an original story lands, it gets people talking like no remake ever could. A perfect example of this is “Sinners,” a film made by Ryan Coogler, which grossed over $366 million worldwide.
If you want to break into screenwriting or directing, it can feel discouraging. Do you pitch bold, fresh ideas that may never get produced? Do you work within the franchise system and hope to sneak in your own creative twist? The truth is, originality usually comes with risk. Not every new story will find an audience. But the big hits of the future always start as original gambles, and sometimes even change the whole industry.
As someone hoping to break into the industry someday, I hope to stay true to chasing those risky but original ideas. Movies should make us feel something unexpected, and that happens best with original storytelling.
