Hollywood seems to be busy with movie & TV reboots these days. Recently, there have been many headlines on upcoming reboots, like the announcements made for a Harry Potter and Twilight reboot.
Reboots often don’t do better than the originals. But despite negative feedback, reboots continue getting made. And if it’s not a reboot, it’s either a live-action remake or a sequel of a franchise that ended a long time ago.
It seems that we aren’t really getting original ideas these days. Franchises are constantly being recycled and the entertainment industry seems to be traveling back in time.
Instead of getting new stories, nowadays, we get something that already came from something else. The movies and TV series that older audiences grew up with are back, but they’re remodeled.
So, it’s nothing really new. While nostalgia is good, rebooting films and TV shows doesn’t always work. But this seems to be the trend in the entertainment industry right now.
From Sex and The City to Pretty Little Liars, to Gossip Girl, to Interview with the Vampire, and Dune, why are there so many movie & TV reboots these days?
Why Hollywood Keeps Making Movie & TV Reboots
One reason for the trend of reboots involves economic matters. Nostalgia often wins, and it’s associated with money. Despite what the critics say, viewers will watch a reboot because of the nostalgic feeling.
Thus, reboots don’t need to spend too much on marketing because it already has a dedicated fan base. Chances are, the viewers who loved the original version will still watch the reboot. Reboots, in this case, reduce the marketing burden.
"The most secure option for studios is always going to be something we call a 'pre-sold property', which means a film that has a built-in audience that one can all but guarantee will go and see the film," said film studies lecturer Dr. Matthew Jones to Cosmopolitan.
"Meaning films with pre-existing fan audiences, and what types of films have fan audiences before they are even released? Remakes, reboots, and sequels do, precisely because they are already properties familiar to audiences and which some people will feel an emotional attachment to already. This is not laziness on the part of the production studios. It's just good, sound financial logic," Dr. Jones added.
So, reboots are a way of securing profit without taking too many risks. Studios would rather spend their budget on a reboot than something new because the audience responds to familiarity.
Furthermore, studios do not have to take greater risks because there’s no need to spark interest in a new story or character. Rebooted movies or TV shows already have a dedicated audience.
Since people have already become attached to their favorite stories and characters, there’s no need to spend too much on introducing or selling something new to the audience.
Furthermore, new movies and TV shows may not always become successful. In fact, according to Screen Rant, 65% of new TV shows get canceled within their first season. Thus, reboots can be a way of avoiding cancelation due to an already dedicated fan base.
Additionally, Variety reported that successful film reboots include Batman Begins (2005), Rise of the Planet Apes (2011), Star Trek (2009), and Casino Royale (2006). On the other hand, Dune (2021) and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) are recognized as reboots that lived up to the hype.
Second, publicity. Despite what critics say, reboots allow publicity, especially for streaming services. This is also tied to nostalgia and financial success.
Reboots become the talk of the town, with many reports about them being written. Deseret News reported that reboots attract viewers to streaming platforms. Thus, Netflix, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ all have rebooted various shows.
Citing Roku data, Deseret News reported that Paramount+ entered the streaming world with the debut of the iCarly reboot and saw a 391% week-over-week rise in searches and views during the release of the iCarly reboot.
This goes back to how nostalgia sells. Rebooted shows already have a dedicated fan base, thus, streaming services can expect more viewers to subscribe.
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Third, reboots allow improvements to the previous version. Just like live-action remakes, reboots actually offer a chance to change some things and make them better. Take for example the Percy Jackson series.
The Disney+ reboot has a chance to make the book series adaptation better after the movies flopped. Those who read the books know that the events in the movies were rushed, especially in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters.
Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson books, said that the films are his “life’s work going through a meat grinder.” Now, with the Disney+ reboot, Riordan said that the series “gives us time to do justice to the entire story.”
The Disney+ reboot will have a chance to focus on character development and viewers can see Percy Jackson grow throughout the series. He was, after all, just a 12-year-old in the first book.
And since the upcoming series will adapt one book per season, the Disney+ reboot would certainly be a faithful adaptation of the books, as opposed to the films.
The Problem with Movie & TV Reboots
Even though good things may come out of reboots, viewers argue that they just fail to recreate the magic that was in the original versions. Reboots, no matter how good, just can’t capture the magic of the original films or TV shows. In fact, a Rotten Tomatoes study shows that remakes and reboots often don’t do better than the original.
Take for example The Time Traveler’s Wife, a reboot that was canceled after just one season. The Hollywood Reporter reported that the show’s audience was too small, while /Film said that the cancelation could be due to the fact that “this story has been told several times before”, with a 2009 film already made on the same book.
Another example is Gossip Girl. Up until today, there’s still a lot of online content on the original series, but the same cannot be said for the reboot.
“Despite the big initial interest, fueled by fans of the original series, the follow-up could not capture the zeitgeist the way the 2007-12 CW show did,” Deadline reported.
TV shows end for a reason. Most viewers just want to keep the ending as it is – no more reboots, or sequels. Besides, reboots don’t have the same magic that the original versions have, no matter how good the reboot may be.
Additionally, without any new elements added to the reboots, they have nothing more to offer.
“The reboot that changes nothing will be uncanny and lifeless; the one that thinks itself more clever than its predecessor will turn out cynical and sour,” said The New York Times.
RELATED: Harry Potter Fans Enraged Over HBO Series Reboot
Upcoming Movie & TV Reboots
Despite the negative feedback on movie and TV reboots, they’re not leaving any time soon. Since reboots (and even live-action remakes) can produce money for studios and some have become successful, we can expect more announcements of more movie & TV reboots.
Upcoming movie & TV reboots include reboots for Harry Potter, Twilight, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Eragon, and Percy Jackson. Upcoming Marvel reboots include Fantastic Four and Daredevil: Born Again.
Additionally, upcoming Disney live-action remakes include The Little Mermaid (May 26, 2023), Snow White (2024), Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), Moana, and Lilo & Stitch.