Another Reason Hollywood Can’t Quit Sequels and Reboots
'Naked Gun' scores solid, not spectacular debut ... but here's what else happened
All you need to know about Hollywood in 2025 can be summed up in this headline:
‘The Holiday’ Limited Series Based on Nancy Meyers Film in Development at Apple TV+
The best part? The film’s original writer/director, Nancy Meyers, had no clue this project was happening. That sums up the industry to a “T.”
Sequels. Prequels. Remakes. Reboots. Re-imaginings. (shudder)
That’s Hollywood in a nutshell, a fear-averse industry clinging to nostalgia and brand awareness.
Adam Sandler just made an entire movie based on it – “Happy Gilmore 2.”
It’s more of a nostalgia cruise than an actual movie.
Over the weekend, Paramount delivered a reboot of its “Naked Gun” comedy franchise – without the creative input of the genius who made it all possible, David Zucker.
The film made $17 million against stiff competition. That figure, assuming the comedy has legs, could lead to other spoof films. Or, as is more likely, more rebooted/re-imagined titles.
The “why” is obvious. The box office results speak for themselves. Last year, only one film in the box office top 10 was an original film. And “Wicked” is based on a gob-smackingly popular Broadway show.
Here’s one more reason why this brand of storytelling isn’t going away. Consider the fallout from a new “Naked Gun” cop parody film, courtesy of JustWatch.com.
The number one spot may be different next week, but the very existence of a “Naked Gun” reboot gave a boost to the original film. That same holds for 1996’s “Happy Gilmore.” It suddenly got a new lease on life, and it delivered more profit for the studios that retain its licensing fees.
Even “The Bad Guys,” a modest hit back in 2022, got a bump from the new sequel.
This isn’t an aberration.
Reboots/remakes/sequels routinely push the original films up the streaming and/or VOD charts. People want to catch up on the first films and/or prepare for the newer chapters.
Audiences have a hunger for continuity and completion. Even patrons who didn’t love the source material might be coaxed into watching the newer stories.
It’s classic FOMO – Fear of Missing Out.
Either way, it’s another way consumers incentivize movie studios to create more of the same.
Maybe A.I. will help cut down on costs, so studios can create more original content with good production values without having to spend so much money.