Clear symptoms: Is Hollywood suffering from ‘sequelitis’?

Nearly every weekend this summer will offer at least one reboot

Hollywood is fighting off a nasty illness. ‘Sequelitis’, the entertainment industry equivalent of the Zika virus, has gripped major studios. Its symptoms include sluggish box office, feverish critical take downs and disdainful social media reactions.

At least, that’s what analysts and executives are telling themselves after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows became the latest sequel to disappoint, reported Variety. It follows a long line of follow-ups and spinoffs that flopped or failed to live up to their predecessors — a group of underachievers that includes X-Men: Apocalypse, Alice Through the Looking Glass and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

“Audiences are challenging us to make excellent movies,” said Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, the studio behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “The fact that it’s part of a franchise or sequel doesn’t let you off the hook. You need to raise the bar and make the story exciting, compelling and fun.”



If it’s true that audiences are rejecting franchises en masse, it undermines the financial underpinnings of the movie business and it means that major studios should brace for a punishing summer. After all, it’s not like the sequels are showing any signs of stopping.  In fact, nearly every weekend this summer will offer up at least one sequel, reboot or spin-off.

Franchise mania isn’t new.  But it has intensified after the success that Disney enjoyed with its Marvel films. The interlocking superhero stories featuring the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and other costumed Avengers, have created a thirst for cinematic universe building. Every studio wants to be in the game. Even though the reception to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was mixed, Warner Bros. is plunging ahead with a half-dozen films based on DC Comics heroes. Its next installment, Suicide Squad, debuts in August.

As studios go farther and farther down the intellectual property food chain, the cinematic universe construction boom could eventually bust.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2016.

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