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There’s a reason Hollywood relies so much on sequels. It shows they have money at stake.
Of the top 60 box-office films since 2016 (excluding 2020, as most theaters were closed due to the pandemic), only five can be classified as true original titles, making them one of the industry’s highest-grossing films. Most of the sales are driven by sequels.
This analysis, provided to Yahoo Finance by box office analytics platform Enttelligence, highlights movie studios’ predictable reliance on sequels, franchises, and known IPs to drive ticket sales.
“It’s pretty much a standard story,” said Sean Robbins, chief analyst at Box Office Pro. “There are very few stories left untold. Everything is reinvention.”
More production pressure? According to EntTelligence, the top 10 films averaged over the past 10 years, accounting for approximately 1 in 3 tickets sold that year.
This means that top movies drive business, so Hollywood is essentially forced to rely on “proven” content strategies rather than betting on original concepts that may not succeed. You won’t get any more.
“This is purely a financial issue,” Travis Knox, a film producer and Chapman University professor, told Yahoo Finance.
“Marketing costs for feature releases are significant, making it difficult to get the word out as Hollywood’s target audience eschews traditional ad-based television,” he continued. “Releasing films that are familiar is perceived to be a safer bet.”
Knox added that studios are also used to “chasing the first week,” adding, “Nowadays, a movie lives or dies on its first weekend, so if you’re looking for a sequel or something that’s already out there, that’s Marvel. Whether it’s a character or an original work, we will be producing it.” A hit book will make selling tickets a little easier from a studio standpoint. ”
Of course, there are also amazing original titles.
Sony’s “Anyone But You” and Universal’s “M3GAN” are recent examples of box-office-grossing titles, securing global grosses of over $200 million and $180 million, respectively. (Please note that “Anyone But You” is still in theaters, so its global box office revenue could increase further.)
Both films benefited from strong marketing campaigns and an explosion of buzz on social media. However, while these totals are impressive, they are far from breaking the top 10.
Barbie’s recipe for success
While originals have struggled to overcome sequels at the top of the box office food chain, some of the films generating the biggest buzz are based on characters people already know, such as “Barbie.” Some works create unique experiences based on this.
“‘Barbie’ took the concept of a movie based on a doll IP and turned it into a very meaningful story with cultural resonance,” Boxoffice Pro’s Robbins told Yahoo Finance. “It tapped into familiarity, but also something the audience could relate to.”
Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster became the first non-sequel movie since 2003’s “Finding Nemo” to sell the most tickets at the box office that year, according to EntTelligence.
Biographical films have been an added boon to known IP films, and “Bob Marley: One Love” continues to gain momentum after its Feb. 14 release. Meanwhile, Sam Mendes will direct four different films about the Beatles, each told from the perspective of a different band member. All four films are scheduled to be released in 2027.
Still, not all well-known stories work out. Most recently, Marvel’s Madame Web was a huge hit in theaters (and perhaps received the worst reception from the general public) as superhero fatigue permeated the industry.
“The Color Purple, Shazam, Haunted Mansion…like it or not, they were all huge disappointments at the box office last year,” Knox added. “Why was ‘Barbie’ so successful? It had a brilliant marketing campaign that not only was a real crowd pleaser, but also brought in tons of unexpected publicity. They hated the toy line. We’ve succeeded in bringing in audiences, but we’ve still found films that speak to them.” ”
Knox said the film’s fresh and different perspective also appealed to audiences.
“Consumers don’t want to be bored,” he explained. “They don’t want to be disrespected. They want to see something new and exciting. It’s the ‘Barbie’ story itself, and what made it so different was the way it was told. It’s the way you are treated.”
It also didn’t hurt that the film had a top-notch cast, including Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Star power, in particular, is often the driving force behind an entire movie, but when it comes to box office success, “there’s no formula,” Knox noted.
“The most basic answer is that consumers want something that feels fresh and familiar at the same time. That’s an impossible scenario,” Robbins added. “It’s not just about making a great movie. It’s not just about having a great cast and a great story. It’s also about promoting it very effectively, sometimes well in advance.”
While Robbins and Knox believe sequels will continue to be mainstream, Robbins said this year could be a “stepping stone” when it comes to studios taking more risks at the box office. He said there is.
“When you see a movie like Universal’s ‘The Fall Guy’ kick off the summer, it’s not the typical movie you expect to kick off the summer,” he said. “If that movie does well, things could change a lot.”
alexandra canal I’m a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X @allie_canal, LinkedIn, Email alexandra.canal@yahoofinance.com.
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