Over the past few years, many moviegoers and film buffs have noticed a rising trend in the filmmaking industry. The so-called "Era of the Sequel" is upon us and many are worried that the extinction of filmic originality altogether is not far behind.
As the title suggests, this new class of movie takes three forms: the sequel, the remake, and the more recent reboot. To clear the air of any confusion: a "sequel", by definition, is a movie that continues a story that began in a previous movie; a "remake" is identified as a re-envisioning of an older movie; a "reboot" describes a fresh start at a previously established movie or movie series, considering all prior attempts irrelevant.
The ushering in of these new varieties of movies has caused much grief for avid movie watchers like myself, and has forced us to pose questions such as "why are they making another movie about the Hulk?" or "what is the purpose of a fourth Indiana Jones movie?"
The answer to questions such as these is simple: money. Just like any other business, the film industry's main concern is making money, and how can you blame them? After all, they, like us, are people who have bills to pay. The real question, however, is whether or not this justifies lack of original content. Workers in the film industry would say yes.