There was a time when the words “The End” actually leaned towards finality. We see the hero ride into the sunset, watch good triumph over evil, see the couple finally unite and go home knowing the story is over. Hollywood apparently looked at those two words and thought… we’ll see about that.
Because these days, no movie character truly seems to retire. All it takes is for a studio executive to look through an old catalogue and suddenly somebody gets a phone call. And right now, Hollywood has a serious case of sequel fever.
Here’s an interesting stat for you. A recent Film Stories count identified around 136 movie sequels currently somewhere in development. They range from obvious franchise continuations to follow-ups you probably never imagined would happen. And some characters are returning after a very long absence. More than 25 years after he first played the Grinch, Jim Carrey plans to step back into the character’s furry green shoes. National Treasure 3 has moved closer to reality almost two decades after Nicolas Cage last went treasure hunting, with director Jon Turteltaub saying there’s finally a completed script he likes and that Disney has tentatively approved.
Even Captain Jack Sparrow may not have sailed his final voyage. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed discussions with Johnny Depp about potentially returning to Pirates of the Caribbean.
At this rate, I’m beginning to think Hollywood doesn’t have an archive, but a waiting room. But to be fair we can’t put all the blame on Hollywood because we keep showing up. Studios aren’t digging through their catalogues because someone suddenly remembered how much they loved a movie from 2003. They’re businesses, and familiarity comes with something incredibly valuable: an audience that already exists. A completely original movie has to introduce its world, characters and concept and then convince millions of people that it’s worth their money. But mention Pirates of the Caribbean, Toy Story, Spider-Man, Shrek or The Grinch, and those familiar names have already done half the marketing for Hollywood. Why? Because we know them and have have memories attached to them.
Never discount the power of nostalgia. The movie you watched when you were ten, eleven or twelve isn’t simply a movie anymore. It goes back to the summer holidays of that year. Or perhaps your childhood bedroom. It could even be going to the cinema with someone you haven’t seen in eons. So when Hollywood announces that a character is returning, it isn’t simply selling us another movie. It’s selling us a ticket back to something we remember. Ain’t that clever?
I just think that sometimes an ending deserves to remain an ending. I mean not every unanswered question needs answering. And I’m definitely sure that not every character needs to return at 60 to explain what they’ve been doing for the past thirty years. But most importantly not every successful movie automatically contains another story worth telling. The reason some movies work is precisely because they stop where they do. Which is why the conversation reportedly surrounding another Barbie is so interesting. The 2023 film made around $1.4 billion worldwide, making the commercial temptation of a sequel pretty obvious, yet reports this month suggest Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig remain reluctant to simply manufacture another one. And I actually respect that.
I just find it strange that some studios treat enormous success as proof that a story wasn’t finished. Sometimes success means you told the story properly.
Of course, sequels aren’t inherently bad. In fact some are better than the originals. Returning to a world can give filmmakers an opportunity to explore characters differently, introduce a new generation or tell a story that genuinely couldn’t have existed before. The problem begins when the question changes from “Is there another story worth telling?” to “Can we make money from this again?” And believe me audiences can usually tell the difference.
So maybe this is why franchise fatigue has become such a big conversation. I don’t think people are necessarily tired of sequels. I think they’re tired of watching stories return without a good reason for doing so. If you’re going to bring back a character that audiences loved twenty years ago, give us something worth coming back for. Don’t simply show us the same person, play the familiar music, throw in three references for the fans and expect nostalgia to do all the heavy lifting. Although, let’s be real, nostalgia is remarkably good at heavy lifting.
I will complain about unnecessary sequels with absolute conviction and then somebody will announce a movie featuring a character I loved as a child and suddenly I’m watching the trailer five minutes after it drops. And therein lies Hollywood’s problem. We say we want originality, but familiarity provides us with comfort, and studios know that. Which is probably why the sequel isn’t going anywhere. Maybe Hollywood hasn’t forgotten how to say goodbye at all. Maybe it simply discovered that audiences are very good at saying goodbye…….until someone announces they’re coming back.
