Exploring Studio Risk Aversion, Audience Comfort Zones, and Creative Risk
I was talking to my dad about old movies the other day, and we both realized that almost every single major theatrical release planned for this year is tied to an existing intellectual property from twenty or thirty years ago. It is wild to think that an entire generation of younger moviegoers is growing up without ever experiencing a truly original, ground-breaking cinematic event that wasn't adapted from a pre-existing comic book or video game.
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The shift in how movies are financed nowadays has completely altered what gets shown on the big screen because mid-budget dramas and unique original thrillers have been almost entirely pushed out of the multiplexes. Since mainstream audiences have so many entertainment options at home with video games and short-form content, studios feel they need a massive, recognizable brand name just to convince people to leave their houses and buy a ticket. I was reading a fascinating breakdown of how this risk aversion completely dominates boardroom decisions nowadays, and the article over at https://observerbd.com/news/581430 perfectly details the systemic reasons why familiarity wins over originality in the eyes of top-tier media executives who need to please their shareholders every quarter.