The Franchise Frenzy: Hollywood's Relentless Pursuit of Familiar Faces and Beloved Stories

The movie industry is in the throes of a franchise fever, with studios increasingly relying on sequels, prequels, and remakes to drive box office success. As the 2024 box office numbers demonstrate, the top 10 titles of the year all came from existing intellectual property, and this trend is set to continue well into 2025 and beyond.

Familiar Faces and Beloved Stories: The Key to Box Office Dominance

The Rise of Franchise Filmmaking

The 2024 box office has been dominated by sequels, prequels, and remakes, with the top 10 titles of the year all coming from existing intellectual property. This trend is not new, but it seems to be growing exponentially, with the industry's top studios returning to familiar characters and settings to drive movie ticket sales in 2025 as well.According to industry analysts, between 50% and 70% of the movies from the six major studios – Universal, Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony, and Lionsgate – will be related to existing IP in 2025. This strategy is hardly a novel one, but it appears to be gaining even more traction as studios seek to capitalize on the audience's preference for the familiar.

The Comfort of the Familiar

The reliance on franchise titles is particularly evident in the animation space, with 2024 seeing the release of sequels like Disney and Pixar's "Inside Out 2," Universal's "Despicable Me 4," and "Kung Fu Panda 4." According to industry analysts, family audiences who utilize a budget-driven calculus when choosing whether or not to buy a movie ticket want the comfortability of the familiar on their side.This trend, however, is not limited to family audiences. Adult audiences are also gravitating towards the familiar, using the same rationale when deciding which movies to watch. The final quarter of 2024 is a prime example, with a slew of blockbuster franchise releases, including "Joker: Folie à Deux," "Smile 2," "Venom: The Last Dance," "Gladiator 2," "Wicked: Part One," and "Moana 2," among others.

The Enduring Appeal of Nostalgia

The industry's reliance on franchise and IP-based films is not solely driven by the audience's preference for the familiar. It also taps into the enduring appeal of nostalgia, a powerful force that can captivate audiences and drive ticket sales.By revisiting beloved characters and settings, studios are able to tap into the emotional connections that audiences have with these stories, creating a sense of familiarity and comfort that can be a powerful draw. This is particularly true for franchises that have been around for decades, such as "The Lord of the Rings," "Jurassic World," and "Avatar," which continue to captivate audiences with new installments.

The Challenges and Opportunities of Franchise Filmmaking

While the franchise frenzy may be a boon for studios, it also presents a unique set of challenges. As the market becomes increasingly saturated with sequels and remakes, audiences may become more discerning, seeking out fresh and original content to break up the monotony.However, the success of recent non-franchise features, such as Jordan Peele's films and the work of other acclaimed filmmakers, suggests that there is still a demand for original stories and innovative storytelling. Studios that are able to strike a balance between familiar and new content may be best positioned to thrive in the current landscape.Moreover, the rise of streaming platforms has opened up new avenues for storytelling, allowing filmmakers to explore more niche and experimental projects that may not have found a home in the traditional theatrical model. This could lead to a resurgence of original content and a more diverse range of stories being told on the big screen.